Civil Air Patrol News - Oct 2010

CIVIL AIR PATROL
Photo by Lt. Col. Mike Carlson, Wyoming Wing
October-December 2010
FEATURES
2 Caliber of CAP Annual Conference Puts Members, Leaders On Display 6 Ascending The Ranks Charles L. Chuck Carr Jr. Named National Vice Commander 8 Gill Robb Wilson Granddaughter Brings Civil Air Patrol Founder To Life 9 Stress Management CISM Teams Assume Increasing Duties 14 National Blue Beret Cadets Enjoy Experience Of A Lifetime At Oshkosh 17 Spreading Goodwill IACE Helps Build Friendships Worldwide 20 High-Tech E-Tech Academy Provides Cadets With Engineering Insight 23 Gulf Oil Spill Environmental Disaster Results In Massive CAP Response 24 Everyday Heroes Volunteers Put Service Before Self In Largest Mission Ever 34 Making History CAP Members Respond To Oil Spill In Record Numbers 40 State Missions, Too Members Assist Mississippi, Florida Agencies 43 Answer To Prayers Chaplains Help Command Center Volunteers Cope 44 National Attention Historic Gulf Response Puts CAP In The Spotlight 46 True Blue Ramstein Squadrons Newest Member Is A Thunderbird 50 Blue Angels Dream AEM Takes Once-In-A-Lifetime Flight 52 Salute To Civil Air Patrol Aviation Day Activities Honor CAP 55 Distinguished Volunteer Cell Phone Forensic Expert Receives National Award 57 In Memory CAP Remembers Two Former National Commanders
Citizens Serving Communities...Above and Beyond
An International Air Cadet Exchange cadet captured this photo of the Singapore landscape from a ferris wheel. This years participants included 62 cadets representing 31 CAP wings.
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DEPARTMENTS
7 From Your National Commander 13 Open Cockpit 51 Crossword 60 Achievements 61 Region News
SUBSCRIPTIONS
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ON OUR COVER
CAP responded to Americas largest environmental disaster, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, by applying its expertise in aerial reconnaissance. Working out of three command centers along the Gulf, CAP conducted multiple air missions every day. The 3,000 or so images captured daily by each aircrew were used by governmental agencies to make critical decisions, including where to apply assets to try to stem the damage. Coverage of CAPs role begins on page 23. Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force
Civil Air Patrol Volunteer is oriented toward both internal (CAP) and external audiences. For that reason, it uses the Associated Press style for such things as military abbreviations. Associated Press style is the standard used for most newspapers and magazines. Official internal CAP communications should continue to use the U.S. Air Force rank abbreviations found in CAPR 35-5.
www.gocivilairpatrol.com
Annual Conference displays
the caliber of CAP
F
By Kristi Carr
For those seeking Civil Air Patrols best and brightest, the place to be was San Diego, site of this years CAP Annual Conference and National Board held the first week of September. Not only did CAP leaders the Board of Governors, top advisers and regional and wing commanders meet to conduct the organizations business, but also awards were presented to CAPs hometown citizens and homeland heroes, members who have gone above and beyond in their service. The conference cut to the marrow of CAPs true strength the incredible courage, determination, intellect and skill of its members, now topping 61,000 in number and growing. Meet some of the people who make CAP great:
Photo by Susan Robertson, CAP National Headquarters
AFNORTH COMMANDERS AWARD WINNERS

The quick actions of three seasoned California Wing members Lt. Col. Kenneth Deeble, Maj. Robert Keilholtz and Capt. Thomas Charpentier made all the difference between a rescue and a recovery when a small aircraft went down over the grounds of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in March 2009. With Deeble as pilot and Charpentier as observer, the aircrew was actually out on another mission, which had just been canceled, when a new tasking was received from mission base. Keilholtz, the incident
The AFNORTH Award presented by Maj. Gen. Garry C. Dean, left, commander of 1st Air Force and the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, recognizes three California Wing members for a lifesaving mission. The commemorative plaque was accepted by California Wing Commander Col. Kenneth Parris.
commander, instructed the crew to use the aircrafts direction-finding equipment, and the crew quickly located the crash site. With firm coordinates, Keilholtz was able to direct first responders to the scene, where they discovered three severely injured survivors in need of immediate medical attention. In presenting this award, Maj. Gen. Garry C. Dean, commander of 1st Air Force as well as the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, remarked, Other branches of the military are in awe of the special tool the Air Force has in CAP.
Civil Air Patrol Volunteer
Connecticut teacher Rachael Manzer, who was presented the 2010 Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year award, not only talks to her students about space but also plans to visit there herself as one of seven educators in the country chosen for the Teachers in Space program.
Manzers resume includes a stint in the education department at NASAs Langley Research Center in Virginia, and she serves as a NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory Solar System Educator. Both of these activities put her in touch with scientists and engineers on the latest research in space exploration and contribute to making her a popular speaker and organizer for educational symposiums in numerous states.
F. WARD REILLY LEADERSHIP AWARD WINNER

Lt. Col. Randall L. Carlsons work at the grassroots level of CAP earned him this years F. Ward Reilly Leadership Award for taking his former unit, the Colorado Wings Broomfield Composite Squadron, to the top as Distinguished Squadron of the Year. Under his direction, the squadron provided communications, CPR and other emergency services training, enabling the majority of members to achieve qualification in these important areas. Also, the cadet program grew by a whopping 361 percent, and aerospace education got a jump start with more trained aerospace education officers and activities. A true ambassador for CAP, Carlson said his philosophy is to lead by example, mentoring and enabling others to reach their own highest potential.
Photo courtesy of Lynda Carlson
AEROSPACE EDUCATION TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Across the continent, Rachael Manzer represents CAP in a very different, but important, way. Exuding enthusiasm, she carries the torch for CAPs mission to provide aerospace education to Lt. Col. Randall L. Carlsons the countrys youth. work at CAPs grassroots level Specializing in science, technology, earned him this year s F. Ward engineering and mathematics, Manzer is a Reilly Leadership Award for teacher in Hartford, Conn., and one of taking his former unit, the four CAP aerospace education members Colorado Wings Broomfield chosen as part of a group of seven Composite Squadron, to the top educators from across the country for the as Distinguished Squadron of Teachers in Space program; she anticipates the Year. a 2012 suborbital flight.
Photo courtesy of Anselma Burke
SENIOR MEMBER OF THE YEAR

Col. Leo Burke of the Michigan Wing is a prime example of how CAP can be a good fit for a lifetime. He joined CAP as a cadet, advancing to earn the cadet programs highest honor, the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award, achieved by only one-half of 1 percent of the cadet population. He then moved on to senior CAP membership, assuming command of his unit on his 21st birthday. Now with more than three decades of CAP service, Burke was recently named Michigan Wing commander. He brings a wealth of experience to the role, encompassing all three of CAPs major missions emergency services, cadet programs and aerospace education. Hes served as incident commander for more than 100 missions and has taken on other roles in another 300. He mentors other pilots in CAP, the National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard and serves as the wings liaison to 1st Air Force, the U.S. Northern Command, Eastern Air Defense Sector and the Air National Guard. Hes participated in 34
encampments, including been a CAP volunteer commanding for more than 30 years. the 2000 Great Lakes RegionNorth Encampment, one of the largest ever held. Burke has piloted more than 175 orientation flights and participated in the last two Great Lakes Region rocketry encampments, where cadets earned their CAP rocketry badges during one intense week.
Senior Member of the Year Col. Leo Burke has
CADET OF THE YEAR

The future of the country, as well as CAP, is in good hands with outstanding cadets like the North Carolina Wings Cadet Col. Olivia Barrow. A born leader, she instituted a youth version of Toastmasters International at her high school and
Photo by Maj. James Kalemis, Great Lakes Region
Cadet Col. Olivia Barrow, from the North Carolina Wing, received the 2010 Cadet of the Year Award for her academic achievements and leadership qualities. Here, she marches the wings drill team onto the field to begin its routine during the 2009 National Cadet Competition.
Barrows activities have not precluded her from assumed the lead in taking her Apex Cadet Squadron carrying a 4.0 grade point average. Her academic record drill team all the way to National Cadet Competition, at Durham Technical Community College was so where the team took second place. Now, as a student at impressive, she was presented the highest Academic the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she is Excellence Award in serving in a the Associate in Arts leadership position program, given only with the publication to the few students team for the UNC who have Dance Marathon, demonstrated which has raised mastery in their more than $2 Maj. Gen. Garry C. Dean, commander of programs. At UNC million in the past 1st Air Force and the Continental U.S. North she carries a double 10 years for North American Aerospace Defense Command Region major in reporting Carolina Childrens and French. s Hospital.
Other branches of the military are in awe of the special tool the Air Force has in CAP.
AIR FORCE SALUTES CIVIL AIR PATROLS LEADERSHIP

Civil Air Patrol does not work in a vacuum. It is linked to the U.S. Air Force through CAPUSAF, whose next echelon of command is the Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions and Citizen Development, commanded until mid-October by Brig. Gen. Teresa A.H. Djuric, at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Last year, CAP was folded into the organizational structure of the Holm Center, which also leads training for cadets in Air Force ROTC, Junior ROTC and Officer Training School. As keynote speaker for CAPs annual conference banquet, Djuric spoke about CAPs willingness to establish partnerships, a quality she identified with U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Teresa A.H. Djuric, left, and effective leadership. CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter Successful leaders who partner dont care who gets the personify the partnership between the Air Force and CAP. credit, she said, adding, I want you to know national senior leaders across the Department of Defense and national agencies recognize CAP as a credible, professional and operationally effective corporation. CAPs effective interstate and inter-region emergency service operations are, in fact, she asserted, what led 1st Air Force to integrate CAP into Operation Deepwater Horizon to deal with the Gulf oil spill. Djuric went on to cite CAPs partnerships in its other major missions of aerospace education and cadet programs liaisons that help ensure the ranks of Americas future leaders will include aviators, scientists and engineers to sustain national security. s
CAP elects new vice commander

By Kristi Carr
and has seen duty on numerous CAP emergency Arriving as a colonel, services missions. he left Civil Air Patrols Beyond his CAP and military service, Carr has a 162010 Annual Conference, year history in retail sales and management. With his held in early September in San wife, Erena, he owns ABC Academy Daycare Center in Diego, as a brigadier general. Columbus, Ohio. The advancement in rank He was chosen from a field of six candidates, which accompanied the election of Brig. Gen. Charles L. also included Col. Carl L. Brown Jr., Pacific Region Chuck Carr Jr. to a one-year term as CAP national inspector general and former Alaska Wing commander; vice commander. Col. William S. Charles II, CAP national controller; Before the election, Carr served as the highestBrig. Gen. Reggie Chitwood, national vice commander; ranking officer of CAPs Great Lakes Region, where he Col. Michael A. Cooper, former Kentucky Wing was appointed region commander in 2007. Since that commander; and Col. James Hughes, former Georgia time, he has led the regions 7,000 volunteers from his Wing commander. home state of Ohio; Carrs primary the region also duty as CAPs vice includes Illinois, commander is to Indiana, Kentucky, assist National Michigan and Commander Maj. Wisconsin. Gen. Amy S. After a 23-year Courter, now in the career with the U.S. third year of a threeAir Force, Carr year term, in leading retired as the nonprofit superintendent of organizations more security police in the than 61,000 grade of master As part of the promotion ceremony during CAPs 2010 annual conference in volunteers as they sergeant. He joined San Diego, Brig. Gen. Charles L. Chuck Carr Jr. has the insignia of his new fulfill congressionally CAP in 1989 and rank as national vice commander pinned on by his wife, Erena. chartered missions in steadily advanced emergency services, cadet programs and aerospace from service as a member of Columbus Senior Squadron education along with increasing roles in Americas 801 and commander of Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker homeland security as the official auxiliary of the U.S. Cadet Squadron 803 to positions of authority with Air Force. Group VIII, the Ohio Wing and the Great Lakes I look forward to being CAPs national vice Region. As national vice commander, he is a member of commander but, more importantly, to being in a both the National Board and Board of Governors, CAPs position to better help our nation and all the members governing and advisory bodies. of this great organization, Carr said. s Carr is a CAP senior pilot with an instrument rating
[ from your national commander ]
Civil Air Patrol continues to benefit from the generosity of our corporate partners, even in these difficult financial times! FLIR Systems Inc.s support of CAPs K-6 Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) Program will help CAP reach almost twice as many ACE students this year. FLIR is a global leader in infrared cameras, night vision and thermal imaging, The Air Force Association is another supporter of ACE, a proponent of our science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs. AFA also sponsors the CyberPatriot competition another STEM opportunity that saw involvement of 55 CAP cadet teams this year. CAP cadets came well-prepared, capturing second and third place in this international battle of cyberspace ingenuity. SAIC, an AFA partner, joined in by awarding scholarships to cadets from our two top teams. For next years competition, 150 CAP teams have registered to participate. Evergreen Aviation, a major supporter of CAPs National Cadet Special Activities, annually sponsors the Michael King Senior Business Academy for cadets. And, in the past two years, Evergreen has supported our National Cadet Competition. It is rewarding to know Evergreen feels its time and money are invested wisely in CAP! In our operational missions, CAP boasts the best partner in America the United States Air Force. The opportunities to pursue the missions entrusted to CAP are directly related to the liaison, support and oversight of CAP-USAF, which works with us to ensure CAP is more versatile and efficient and, ultimately, even more relevant to the Air Force. These partnerships and events are among the opportunities CAP provides its members on an ongoing basis to help ensure preparedness for our Missions for America. As Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff, said in a presentation at the National Press Club in Washington, We must be more flexible across a wide, but far from infinite range of contingencies, and (be) more versatile and efficient in everything we undertake. He went on to say that the Air Force must balance todays needs with tomorrows challenges and become more agile and faster than in the past. What is clear to me is our partnerships help us to be more flexible. With funding, scholarships and program and mission support, CAP continues to ready itself for future missions. As Schwartz reminds us, we need to balance todays needs with tomorrows challenges. And we are doing just that. In partnership with CAPs newly elected vice commander, Brig. Gen. Chuck Carr, and in consultation with our members, I have been prioritizing internal areas where we can be more efficient. As we work to improve our processes, we will always keep an eye on what it will mean to our 61,000 unpaid professionals the valiant members of Civil Air Patrol. It is always of utmost importance to me to keep you, our members, on the team. As always, thank you for your service to CAP and to the citizens of our great nation. Semper Vigilans!
Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter CAP National Commander
At your back
Though long departed, the man credited as Civil Air Patrols founding father had a role to play in CAPs 2010 annual conference, courtesy of his granddaughter, the Rev. Jill Paulson. The Rev. Jill Paulson, a In speaking about the life of Presbyterian minister like Gill Robb Wilson, Paulson her famous grandfather, reminded CAP volunteers of brought Gill Robb Wilson the importance of perseverance, to life for CAP members especially in times of trouble, during CAPs annual and about the power of dreams. conference. Her grandfather, she explained, grew up very poor and didnt even see an airplane until he was 19. Yet he maintained he learned to fly as a boy. And so, in a sense, he did, under the tutelage of his father, who brought to his children news of the latest inventions, including one by the Wright brothers. Paulson suggested it was her grandfathers imagination that took him on his first flight and formed the seed for his dream of a Civil Air Patrol in a nation backed by air power. She described how Wilson, along with his younger brother, Volney, learned how to fly for real when they joined the French Escadrille after World War I broke out in Europe. But, just five days before the wars end, Volney was killed in an air battle. It was the beginning of untold loss for Wilson. Sometime later, flu claimed his sisters life and then the lives of his wife and their unborn daughter. Wilson himself developed a severe problem with his vocal cords, which took away his speech a crippling blow to a man who preached for a living as a Presbyterian minister. Paulson then told how her grandfather persevered against these forces that tried to pull him down, eventually realizing his CAP dream.
Photo by Lt. Col. Frederick R. Mahadocon, Pacific Region
By Kristi Carr
In challenging CAP members to reach for their own dreams, she used a poem her grandfather had written recalling his relationship with his brother to explain how he would be behind his comrades, encouraging them and pushing them forward: I watched every bullet that drummed in his back And would gladly have hurled mine in between; I followed him down till the flash of the crash And the smoke drifted up from the green; So life had its way with the lads from the manse, And it rained in my heart till my eyes Were flooded from springs that can never go dry For the man at your back, when he dies. Excerpted from The Man at Your Back by Gill Robb Wilson s
Photo courtesy of the Gill Robb Wilson family
The Gill Robb Wilson familys photo albums include this shot of Wilson appearing before CAPs New Jersey Wing.
CAPs least-known specialty

works behind the scenes for members
Photo by Maj. Steven Solomon, Southeast Region
By Maj. Steven Solomon
Chaplain Lt. Col. Linda Pugsley practices during an exercise for CISM members.
The two-day course is so stressful, Civil Air Patrol trainees are counseled to be mindful of suicidal thoughts while they take it. When deployed, team members are forbidden to wear CAP rank on their epaulets or collars. Though regulations recommend that every wing have a coordinator, being a part of this team is one of CAPs least understood positions. What is this mysterious duty assignment? CIST. The initials stand for Critical Incident Stress Team,
and more and more such teams are being called on for assistance not only at CAP rescue or disaster relief missions, but also at what some would say are routine CAP activities, such as encampments, training exercises and conferences. CIST deployments in the Florida Wing, for example, were scheduled for a cadet search and rescue exercise, the Florida Air Museums annual Sun n Fun fly-in event, a search and rescue evaluation and the annual Airfest at MacDill Air Force Base, said Lt. Col. Carole Jewett, the wings critical incident stress management officer.
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The need for CIS intervention is not always just for stressful missions. A local squadron may have lost a member and may benefit from a one-time grief session, Jewett said. A single member who was deployed to a critical incident may return to the unit and later express a need to just talk it out. Individuals or groups who have later responses to any mission or nonmission event may also benefit from meeting with a CAP CISM team member. It is no surprise the CISM team is a secret, said Maj. Michael Warwicke, CAPs national CISM strategic planner. This can be directly related to the private work we do within our CAP membership. We are the silent service working within our general membership whenever the situation warrants. CAPs CISM program is modeled after the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. The Maryland-based nonprofit supervises CISM education, training and support services. Its approved instructors offer workshops in such subjects as individual and group crisis intervention, suicide prevention and more.
Cadet Capt. Samuel P. Price knows the value of crisis intervention. He learned about CISM when he completed a first-responder course. After his brothers best friend ended his life, Price took several CISM classes offered by CAP and the Salvation Army. The 17year-old Indiana Wing cadet didnt have to wait long before putting his knowledge to use at a CAP search and rescue exercise. After noticing an initially happy exercise participant sitting alone at a picnic table with his face in his hands, Price stopped to ask if he was OK. The teenager responded through tears, No, I just want to be alone, which led Price to alert the mission base. Immediate official intervention resulted in a referral to a local hospital. CISM is not just for missions. Its for managing stress anywhere in CAP, whether its at a squadron event, encampment or graded search and rescue evaluation or its mission-related, said Dr. Sam Bernard, a CAP lieutenant colonel and national CISM team leader. We address the stress levels of all CAP members. s
About Critical Incident Stress Management

ritical incident stress is defined as any intense, unusual or abnormal event that overwhelms the coping ability of individuals or groups exposed to the trauma. CISM is an organized way for Civil Air Patrol members to get together in a safe and structured environment to share their common experiences, but it is not psychotherapy. Some of the things that can be done to speed up the recovery process are surprisingly simple, such as: participating in physical exercise with relaxation; keeping busy; talking to people; maintaining a normal schedule; and spending time with others.
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When she attended a Critical Incident Stress Management course during Civil Air Patrols 2009 Annual Conference, the Virginia Wings Lt. Col. Carolyn Guertin had no idea that, within a matter of days, she would need to call on those lessons to help save the life of one of her own family members. Upon arriving home after the conference, she found a voice mail from her niece in California. The despondent message revealed her relatives intention to commit suicide. After an unsuccessful attempt to contact her niece, Guertin called the 911 operator, who put her in touch with the sheriff s office near her nieces home. But, while the sheriff was arranging for a wellness check, Guertins niece called her back. During a three-hour conversation, Guertin calmed her niece by putting to practical use the pointers shed picked up in the CAP course. The CISM intervention techniques worked, and her niece opted for counseling. Guertin, meanwhile, was presented a life-saving certificate at this years CAP Annual Conference. s
Lt. Col. Carolyn Guertin, left, whose CISM training helped her thwart a possible suicide, was recognized with a life-saving certificate from CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter during CAPs 2010 Annual Conference.
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CISM applied
Photo by Lt. Col. Todd Engelman, Georgia Wing
National Military History Center spotlights CAPs WWII service

The National Military History Center in Auburn, Ind., now features a display focusing on Civil Air Patrols legacy of service during World War II. The exhibit, covering 1,000 square feet, includes about 500 vintage photographs and numerous display cases. One of the first sights greeting visitors is a restored Stinson 10A, flown during the war by Coastal Patrol Squadron 18 in Falmouth, Mass.; it is visible here in the background above Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter, CAP national commander, as she spoke during the exhibits dedication. In developing the display, CAPs national curator and executive director of the Civil Air Patrol Historical Foundation, Maj. Jim Shaw, worked with the military centers curator, Josh Conrad, along with Spencer Morfit. Lt. Col. Ray Lyon of the New Hampshire Wings Greater Nashua Composite Squadron supervised restoration of the Stinson, formerly owned by the late Col. Albert Sambold, former New Hampshire Wing commander.
EDITORIAL STAFF
CIVIL AIR PATROL NATIONAL COMMANDER Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Don R. Rowland INTERIM PUBLIC AWARENESS & MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR John Salvador MANAGING EDITOR Julie M. DeBardelaben ASSOCIATE EDITOR Steve Cox GRAPHIC DESIGNER Barb Pribulick STAFF WRITER Kristi Carr STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Susan Robertson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dan Bailey, Lt. Col. Don Beckett, Maj. Paul Beliveau, Jennifer S. Kornegay, Minnie Lamberth, Donna Melton, Mitzi Palmer and Maj. Steven Solomon
Illinois Wing crowns King of the Rock

Wing cadets on a dozen teams faced off in mental and physical challenges at Rock Cut State Park in annual competition for the Cadet Maj. Jacob Rueth Memorial trophy and the honor of being called King of the Rock. This year, the teams competed in such challenges as building a tent blindfolded, erecting a Lego model without instructions, navigating an obstacle course blindfolded, facing off in a water cannon duel, completing a compass course featuring Civil Air Patrol knowledge questions and as seen here using tires and wood to cross a simulated river. The winning team, the McHenry County Composite Squadron's Battle Toads, was presented with the Rueth trophy, named for a Lewis Composite Squadron cadet killed Dec. 1, 2006, when his plane crashed in northwest Minnesota. 12
Photo by Maj. James Kalemis, Great Lakes Region
More than 70 Illinois
MAGAZINE EDITORIAL BOARD

Col. Joseph A. Guimond Jr. Senior Adviser, Support Col. Michael Murrell Senior Adviser, Operations Col. Richard Greenhut Maj. Al Pabon Public Affairs Team Leader
ON THE WEB
Go to www.capvolunteernow.com daily for squadron and wing news.
Civil Air Patrol Volunteer is published quarterly by Civil Air Patrol, a private, charitable, benevolent corporation and auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. Please send all correspondence to Public Affairs, 105 S. Hansell St., Bldg. 714, Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6332; telephone 877-227-9142, ext. 250; e-mail: paa@capnhq.gov. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of CAP or the U.S. Air Force. Civil Air Patrol Volunteer welcomes manuscripts and photographs; however, CAP reserves the right to edit or condense materials submitted and to publish articles as content warrants and space permits.
[ open cockpit ]
Whether taking aerial photographs over the Gulf oil spill, clawing through the wilderness in search of a missing person or trying to get some sleep on a cot in a roomful of
rambunctious teenagers, CAP volunteers never submit a bill. What a deal!
Yet, while most of us like the idea of getting something for free, it must be marked by professionalquality service, especially when that service involves search and rescue, cadet programs and emergency response. After all, free service is not really a bargain if it is not backed by quality. CAP knows this, too, which is why the organization is committed to high-quality professional development and to routinely producing members who, while unpaid, are exceptionally well-trained for the missions they are asked to perform. In that respect, CAPs wide range of continuing education options makes the organization a good deal, not just for the public it serves but also for its members. Classes for adults are offered year-round at the local, wing, regional and national levels as well as online. Cadet offerings are equally as comprehensive, with programs that provide everything from international travel to career exploration in business and engineering to skills in piloting and leadership. Our members success stories in performing their Missions for America were touted during the 2010 Annual Conference, where CAP volunteers were honored for their service before self. Among those receiving national awards was a teacher member who works with NASA and is scheduled to go into space, an adult member who has directed international anti-terrorist operations and a cadet who holds a 4.0 grade point average in college. Just like our 61,000 members nationwide, CAP can make you better, too! If you are interested in increasing your own skill set while also serving others, consider becoming one of CAPs unpaid professionals. For more information, go to www.gocivilairpatrol.com. Don Rowland
Executive Director
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High-flying Blue Berets
137 cadets from across America enjoy the experience of a lifetime
A cadet marshals aircraft at Oshkoshs Wittman Regional Airport. Cadets become experts at flight line marshaling while at Blue Beret.
By Jennifer S. Kornegay
A
As one of the 137 CAP cadets participating in National Blue Beret this year, Cadet Col. Ryan OConnor of the Georgia Wing knows hes learned some valuable new skills. OConnor did more than get better at teamwork and grow as a leader. He grew in spirit, too. Volunteering to me means growing your soul as much as your skills, he said. OConnor served as the activitys cadet deputy commander.
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Photos courtesy of National Blue Beret public affairs staff
10,000 airplanes that come in and out of Wittman Field National Blue Beret is held annually during the during the week and develop their leadership skills Experimental Aircraft Associations annual fly-in, called through service. AirVenture, in Oshkosh, Wis. This year, AirVenture In addition to mixing and mingling with living took place July 19-Aug. 2. The lucky cadets as well as a legends, the cadets also form close bonds in a short few senior members chosen to be a part of Blue Beret time, thanks to the nature of the activity. Doing a got the opportunity to work at one of the largest and complicated and important task brings people together, most prestigious air shows in the world. OConnor said. With all the backgrounds in CAP, a The show attracts more than 500,000 people each very diverse group of people can form lifelong year and includes more than 10,000 aircraft. Participants relationships at events such as National Blue Beret. were involved with a variety of facets of the show, Blue Berets cadet commander this year, Cadet Col. working everything from the flight line to the exhibits. Mitch Edwards of the Kansas Wing, agreed. Edwards Kansas Wing Commander Col. Regena Aye has been said the relationships he left with mean a lot. I think Blue Beret activity director since 2009 but has been the most beneficial thing I will take away from this involved with the program since 2001. One of her year's National Blue Beret is the larger beret family, favorite aspects is observing the cadets progress. he said. I love watching the cadets transition during the Living with nearly 200 people for 212 weeks in a event as they experience all the activity has to offer. They have no idea what to expect when they arrive. The restricted space creates some tension at the beginning, grass around the field is empty, and they often seem but once everyone gets used to it, National Blue Beret skeptical as we go through training, Aye said. One becomes a very large family, Edwards said. We stand morning, they wake up and everything is different. The behind each other and work as a great team that puts cadets then understand all the things we covered. They the mission first. form teams, and over the course of the event, their Not just the cadets benefit from Blue Beret. Seniors attitudes change. on the staff get to work with some of the best cadets in Aye knows first-hand how beneficial the experience the program, which is incredibly rewarding, Aye said. can be, especially for Seniors also cadets. National Blue experience all three of Beret is a one-of-a-kind CAPs missions. Few activity that involves all activities allow you to three missions, she see and do as much as said, referring to CAPs National Blue Beret. three core missions The senior emergency services, members at Blue cadet programs and Beret also gain a aerospace education. better understanding On any given day of the cadet program cadets might meet while learning right aerospace legends like alongside the cadets, Patty Wagstaff and Dick U.S. Navy Capt. Charlie Plumb spoke to cadets about his many military improving their own experiences. Plumb flew an F-4 Phantom jet on 74 successful combat Rutan, hone their teamwork abilities. emergency services skills missions over North Vietnam. On his 75th mission, he was shot down, This is my first captured, tortured and imprisoned. He spent the next 2,103 days as a looking for overdue CAP encampment, prisoner of war. aircraft among the said Capt. Stephen
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Gladwin of the Texas Wing, training, advice and counseling officer for Alpha Flight at Blue Beret. To see 12 people from very different backgrounds come together, work out their differences, deficiencies and skills and gradually form a tight-knit team was great. For aviation enthusiasts, the diverse array of aircraft at National Blue Beret is amazing, offering the stuff great memories are made of, as Maj. Lou Volpato of the New York Wing explained. While I have had a lot of fun at Blue Beret, I enjoy flying most, Volpato said. Ive flown in biplanes, ultralights and helicopters at Blue Beret. Mass arrivals rank at the top of OConnors list of activities. Flight line marshaling is always fun, he said. However, when the mass arrivals come in, I have the most fun managing hundreds of planes and sending them where they need to go. In addition to a huge crowd, AirVenture also draws some big names in both aviation and entertainment, affording Blue Beret cadets and seniors the chance to stargaze a bit. Big stars like John Travolta, Harrison Ford, Jeff Dunham and Gary Sinise attend or perform at the show, Aye said. For all of the excitement and fun, Cadet activities included a tour of the Dick Rutan exhibit. Rutan piloted the the core purpose of Blue Beret is Voyager aircraft around the world nonstop with co-pilot Jeana Yeager in 1986. The personal growth. National Blue Beret flight was the first around the world without stopping or refueling. is a great activity that teaches you a variety of life skills, from how to interact with people to always thinking safety, Cadets are allowed to step up and work an Edwards said. operational mission and serve others and the aviation The most beneficial thing National Blue Beret has community, Aye said in summing up the programs given me is leadership, he added. As cadet appeal. We tell cadets when they arrive that we have commander, I also have the opportunity to influence high expectations; they must work hard at National Blue 1 more than 130 cadets in a positive way for 2 2 weeks. Beret and, along the way, they will learn a lot as well. s
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IACE Provides Cadets

By Jennifer S. Kornegay
Unique Opportunities
Building on a shared interest is one of the easiest ways to form a relationship. For Civil Air Patrol cadets participating in the annual International Air Cadet Exchange, that interest is flying, and the passion for all things aviation-related forms the basis for friendships in countries around the world. This year, 62 IACE cadets from 31 wings along with 17 senior member escorts visited foreign soil, spreading goodwill and promoting international cooperation during their stays. Lt. Col. Bev Scoggins, director of plans and programs for CAPs Pacific Region, is also director of IACE. A supporter of the program for nearly two decades, Scoggins knows just how exciting and educational the IACE experience is.
Cadet Capt. Sarah Sill, left, of the South Carolina Wing, Maj. Brenda Reed of the Maryland Wing and Cadet Lt. Col. Lauren Hartman of the Pennsylvania Wing pose at Lake Tekapo in New Zealand, where the glacier-fed lake has a turquoise color and is one of the most photographed places in the country.
Photo by Lt. Col. Charles Wiest, California Wing
many things they have in I started on common and enjoyed the IACE staff in differences in food, language and 1991, she said. culture, she said. My first escorting IACE participants are offered adventure was to multiple opportunities to try Norway, and it was new things in places like amazing. To stand Australia, Belgium, Canada, above the Arctic Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, Circle, to visit a Israel, Japan, New Zealand, 15th century castle, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey to see the fjords and the United Kingdom. The its all hard to put program conducted by the into words. International Air Cadet Singapore was Exchange Association, a league fascinating, too. Its of 19 air cadet organizations an interesting blend has attracted CAP cadet of Muslim, Hindu participation since 1948. and Buddhist Cadet Lt. Col. Gus Rojas of cultures. While the Texas Wing enjoyed both the Singapore is a small significant and the everyday country, it is things he discovered while steeped in World Down Under in an experience War II history, Representatives from each of the countries that participated in he described as amazing! something the IACE with CAP this year formed friendships fast. I was able to interact with cadets were amazed to learn. Both trips left Scoggins with the desire to continue to explore the world, and shes passing that vision on to others through IACE. My favorite aspect is meeting both the U.S. and international cadets and escorts, she said. For many of the participants, this is their first international trip, and it is a unique experience to be able to introduce them to the U.S. and, in turn, share some of their countries history and culture. Scoggins said the cadets can gain so much in a short time. I am hopeful when our cadets come back after Cadet Col. David Hill of the West Virginia Wing visited Neuschwanstein Castle in having spent time with other cadets Bavaria, Germany, as part of his involvement in IACE this past summer. from around the world, theyve found
Photo by Lt. Col. Charles E. Wiest, California Wing
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Photo by Maj. Keith Pierson, Arizona Wing
Australian cadets, and I was introduced to Australian culture by the outstanding collection of guides and regular Australians who provided the best possible tour of their country, Rojas said. I not only got to see the best of Australia, but also to learn about the little things like boomerangs, crocodiles, kangaroos, driving on the left side of the road and, most of all, Vegemite. Rojas said he hopes he left behind a good impression of what Americans are like, and he worked hard to dispel the myth that everyone in Texas lives on a ranch. We dont all ride horses to work! he said. He believes the bonds he formed are the most important thing he brought home. The friendships I made through IACE are bound to last forever, he said. Cadet Lt. Col. Eashan Samak, 17, of the Maryland Wing traveled to Turkey, and he feels particularly close to the people he encountered there, as well as the fellow CAP members who traveled with him. The best part about it was getting to meet new people and getting to spend enough time with them to get to know them quite well, he said. Many of us found that our IACE group became a family. While many U.S. cadets go abroad, some host foreign cadets here. This year, IACE exchanged U.S. cadets for 78 international teens. They spent three days in Washington, D.C., and then 10 days with a CAP wing California, Colorado, Wyoming, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, Tennessee or Texas volunteering and working alongside wing members. Cadet Jan-Philipp Jarmer, 18, of Germany came to the U.S. and was happy to see how aviation can unite people and overcome cultural differences. Like Rojas and Samak, he feels the friendships he made were the most precious gift IACE gave him. I liked meeting new people and making new friends, Jarmer said. Friendships are some of the most important things Ive taken away from IACE. After two weeks of eating new types of foods, listening to a different language and experiencing a different culture, the cadets gained an appreciation for American culture and how it fits into the global mosaic, Samak said. Scoggins summed up the benefits of IACE: It is simply the opportunity of a lifetime for all involved, she said. Everyone is exposed to different cultures, different histories and different foods. But in the end they all take away a better understanding of their host country and the people who live there. s
A Tokyo Fire Department Aviation Unit pilot, left, shows off a unit helicopter to IACE participant Cadet Lt. Col. Jose Machuca of the Texas Wing. The unit tour was among the ways IACE participants explored aviation in Japan.
National Commander Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter has the whole world in her hands as she shows off a display of miniature flags representing the countries involved in Civil Air Patrols 2010 International Air Cadet Exchange.
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Photo by Maj. Jason Smith, Louisiana Wing
Cadets Gain Insight Into
Engineering School
By Minnie Lamberth
Twenty-two Civil Air Patrol cadets gained insight into the engineering school experience during the 2010 Engineering & Technology Academy (ETech), held in late July at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala. E-Tech is targeted to older CAP cadets who are thinking about applying to engineering school, said Capt. Phil Boylan, director for the National Cadet Special Activity. Boylan, commander of the Georgia Wings Rome Composite Squadron, is a nuclear and mechanical engineer. One of the main benefits of an engineering camp like this is that it allows
The Auburn University program helps cadets like Cadet Capt. Elisabeth Smith of the Georgia Wing decide if they want to major in engineering.
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Photos by Susan Robertson, CAP National Headquarters
potential students to test the waters before actually investing in their education. Engineering school can be a very expensive experience, Boylan said. E-Tech offers a very inexpensive way to see what engineering school is all about. As cadets complete the week of activities, he said, There are two successful outcomes: You find you like engineering school and want to pursue it, or you decide engineering isnt for you. Either one is a successful outcome. Capt. Tom Owens, the Georgia Wings director of aerospace education, also provided professional guidance during E-Tech. Owens said his motivation for participation comes from recent calls from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and NASA for increased educational opportunities in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We have to do whatever we can do to make sure students are aware of these opportunities, he said. Auburn University has 11 types of engineering programs, and during the week cadets were exposed to as many as 15 professors. They visited the Materials Engineering and Industrial and Systems Engineering departments, where they participated in activities with graduate students and professors. They also visited four Auburn University Motor Sports teams, sponsored by the College of Engineering and several engineering departments. The Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering served as academy host and was the impetus behind one of the cadets central activities constructing an airfoil from advanced carbon fiber fabric. This is the same fabric used on the F-22, the stealth fighter, Boylan said.
then placed the template on a foam core and used a scroll saw to cut that foam block out. Next, they covered the airfoil with the composite material, vacuumed it to remove the air and dried it in a small oven. When the cadets finished making their airfoils, they took them to the smoke tunnel in the Aerospace Engineering Department. That way, they can actually see the air flowing over the section of the surface of what would be a wing, Owens said. Also during the week, the cadets toured the GKN Aerospace manufacturing facility in nearby Tallassee. They got to see that the workers and engineers there are doing the same composite materials process, Owens said.
A Fun Time Learning

E-Tech was one of three National Cadet Special Activities Cadet Capt. Elisabeth Smith of the Georgia Wing participated in over the summer. This one was my favorite, Smith said, and putting together her airfoil and testing it in the wind tunnels was a lot of fun and very interesting. Though NCSAs are usually tightly scheduled, Smith said E-Tech was much looser. It was more of a college sort of environment, she said. We were treated like college students. We were given freedom. Smith has plans to pursue aerospace engineering in college, and the camp reaffirmed her goal. I definitely
Constructing Airfoils
Before arriving at E-Tech, cadets had chosen an airfoil design they wanted to construct. Once at the academy, they traced the shape of their airfoils, cut out a template,
In the classroom, cadets learn how the shape of the wings leading edge and the angle of attack affect the lift equation.
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want to do engineering now after being there, she said. In fact, she and her parents came early to tour the Auburn campus one of three schools she is considering, along with Georgia Tech and MIT. Auburn worked with CAP national staff to create the E-Tech program specifically for cadets and has hosted the academy for the last eight years. We always really enjoy this group of students, said Julia Freeman, student services coordinator for Polymer and Fiber Engineering. They are the best group of prospective engineering students you could possibly find. E-Tech students, from left, Cadet Senior Master The students are high achievers, Sgt. Austin Carrill of the Missouri Wing, Cadet disciplined and well-behaved, Chief Master Sgt. Jacob Bridges of the Kentucky Freeman said. Everyone who Wing, Cadet 1st Lt. David Small of the South comes in contact with this group Dakota Wing and Cadet Maj. James Sheehy of has been so impressed, she said. Its a the Indiana Wing seal the airfoil bag before heating and vacuforming. After the wonderful program. s airfoils were constructed, inset, cadets could see the air flowing over the surface.
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Gulf
Oil Spill
CAP aircrews took and delivered tens of thousands of digital images, which helped assess the oils potential effects on the coastline, barrier islands, wetlands, fishing industry, businesses and tourism. This aerial view shows Waveland, Miss., looking northeast toward Bay St. Louis. Excessive amounts of tar balls and tar patties forced closure of at least one stretch of beach in Waveland, near the Louisiana state line.
Photo by Maj. Keith Riddle, Mississippi Wing
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Operation Deepwater Horizon

By Donna Melton
T
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CAPs everyday heroes put service before self in organizations largest mission ever
This aerial view shows Henderson Point in Pass Christian, Miss., just south of Bay Bridge on U.S. 90. A single CAP wing typically shot up to 3,000 photos each day of the crisis.
The world paused April 20 when the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig exploded, killing 11 crewmen and igniting a fireball visible for dozens of miles. When the semi-submersible rig sank two days later, Civil Air Patrol members along the Gulf Coast expected theyd soon be responding to what would later be known as the worst environmental disaster this country has ever faced. Gulf Coast Southeast Region Commander Col. James M. Rushing, who served as CAP commander for the oil spill response, described it as the organizations biggest mission since World War II, when civilian pilots who founded Civil Air Patrol used their own aircraft to keep German U-boats away from Americas East and Gulf coasts.
During CAPs four months as a participant in Operation Deepwater Horizon, aircrews launched more than 1,000 sorties in support of the response, logging nearly 2,500 flight hours in more than 50 of the organizations signature red, white and blue planes. In all, 150 CAP volunteers put in more than 20,000 hours in support of the mission. Crews took and delivered tens of thousands of digital images. The women and men of Civil Air Patrol served in many ways, but their two most important roles were reconnaissance and leadership. Members became the eyes in the sky and the organizers on the ground, going above and beyond the call of duty to serve America and their own communities in this time of crisis. Every day CAP pilots flew multiple missions over 700 miles of Gulf coastline, mostly to take aerial photographs of the progress of the oil spill. A single CAP wing typically took up to 3,000 photos each day of this crisis, and numerous wings flew aerial reconnaissance missions.
A panoramic view
What made the photos valuable to Incident Command was the encoded GPS coordinates on each one, with the date and time it was taken. The photos were stitched into panoramas and reviewed daily to help officials charged with handling the crisis decide their next moves. Photos allowed rapid, coordinated decision-making. The images also proved crucial as a historical record of the incident. In addition to aerial photography, CAP planes which could be operated for a fraction of the cost of military or privately owned planes were used to fly VIPs over coastal waters to get a look at the integrity of oil containment barriers,
to transport vital mission equipment and to collect data. CAP members from the Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina wings made appearances on the ground and in the air, but other states popped in to lend a hand, including Tennessee and crews from several Great Lakes Region wings. It was a team effort. The Mississippi Wing, like the Florida Wing, flew both state and federal missions simultaneously. Within days of the explosion, the Mississippi Wing was providing still imagery, digital video and other reconnaissance activities for its federal mission, helping facilitate planning, reaction and logistical placement of oil containment booms. For the state mission, pilots flew officials from the Marine Resources and Environmental Quality agencies on inspection tours of the Gulf as they actively searched for oil sheen on the water. The reconnaissance assisted state agencies in assessing the oils potential effects on the Mississippi coastline, barrier islands, wetlands, fishing industry, businesses and tourism. Later, the agencies used the flights to monitor movement of the oil and to mitigate damage. Like most wings, the Mississippi Wing saw recon missions end by mid-to-late August. Flights along the Mississippi coastline for that wings state mission concluded Aug. 27, nearly four months after crew members first took to the sky to help officials with the state departments of Environmental Quality and Marine Resources assess and monitor the environmental impact, said Col. Becky Tilton, public affairs officer for the Mississippi Wing. Their last flight for the federal mission, to gather a mosaic of digital images of the Mississippi Coast for the Mobile Incident Command Post, occurred Sept. 9.
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Photo courtesy of Shirley Hultin
Everyday heroes go above and beyond
What made Civil Air Patrol volunteers stand out is that they used vacation time and interrupted their retirement activities to go to the Gulf and work, proving the appropriateness of the CAP motto: Citizens Serving Communities ... Above and Beyond. Capt. Carl Hultin, the Alabama Wings Volunteers who served as pilots, assistant director of communications, set observers, aerial photographers and up and maintained radio communications mission staff received a lot of the glory, for air and ground response from his Keeping the lines of but most also gave credit to those who home in Lillian, Ala. Hultin, who opened communication open stepped in to fill in gaps back at the and closed the mission for communications, Capt. Carl Hultin, assistant wing level. Credit for a successful may have logged more volunteer hours director of communications for mission was also due to employers who than any other member. the Alabama Wing, set up and allowed workers time off to serve their maintained radio communications country as members of CAP. for CAPs air and ground response from May through CAP volunteers who worked directly or indirectly the beginning of September. with the Deepwater Horizon response dont consider When an aircraft was in the air, Hultin could be themselves heroes. They say they are patriots, found on the radio, providing a real-time audio link performing a civic duty. They step up, not for bragging between the command center and the CAP pilots flying reconnaissance missions. Hed also monitor the radio during nonflying hours. His constant attention to radio traffic provided a safety net for pilots in the congested skies above the spill, said Maj. Patricia H. Mitcham, public affairs officer for the Alabama Wing. Hultin may have logged more volunteer hours than anyone else in the entire mission, since he performed his duties from the communications command center inside his Lillian, Ala., home. Fifty miles away from the Mobile Incident Command Post, Hultin kept the aircraft and the ICP in touch. Capt. Ande Boyer wore many hats during Operation Deepwater Horizon, The sensitive radio equipment needed to including incident commander, air operations branch director, mission pilot keep communication lines open couldnt be and aerial digital imaging system operator. The Alabama Wings director of installed in the leased building. So Hultin, a emergency services is shown here at the controls of a Cessna 182. retired fire chief, used his own home as his
rights, but because its in their spirit their desire to help others. Their reward is a sense of pride and accomplishment from doing a professional job. This publication talked to a few of these volunteers. For several months, their lives werent just put on hold. They were juggled. Are they heroes? You decide.
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Photo by 2nd Lt. Cindy O. Arnold, Tennessee Wing
operations base, taking calls from 6:30 a.m. to late into system operator. He also coordinated and scheduled all the night, seven days a week for almost 113 days Alabama Wing aircrews and aircraft used for the straight. He left the radio only two or three times, and duration of the mission. each time it was for CAP business. He processed images while on the flights, making I opened the mission sure each digital photo was and I closed the mission for geo-tagged with GPS data communications, he said. and timestamps for accurate Usually aircrews checked coordinates. in with Hultin on the top When the Alabama Wing and bottom of the hour, started flying recon missions and anytime in between in mid-May, Boyer flew one they needed him. He took of three sorties the first day. a portable radio with him He also flew on the last day to the kitchen when he of Alabama operations. It needed to break for a was kind of cool to go full sandwich, he said. circle, he said. Though the job stayed Boyer, a senior at the the same for more than University of Alabama in three months, the crews Huntsville, traded a large relying on his chunk of his summer communications know-how Capt. Glenn Wilson helped develop a hardware/software vacation to volunteer for the solution that allowed CAP to process thousands of photos usually changed weekly. Deepwater Horizon mission. of the entire coastal area each day. Wilson, an electrical Every week I had Im glad I was in a engineer with Alabama Power Co., serves as the Alabama somebody new to work position to help and had the Wings aerial digital imaging system director. with, he said. skills and experience they Hultin doesnt think he needed, he said. There are a deserves notoriety for his performance. lot of people who would have been down there doing as Only two people in Alabamas Wing could pull the much as I did and as long as I did if they were able to. communications duty. The other member worked full Improving process times time, so Hultin took the reins and never let go. Its just One of CAPs main objectives on this mission was to part of the job, he said. take digital photos of oil boom, staging areas, displaced Capt. Ande Boyer also went the distance. As the oil boom and shoreline and swamp areas. Alabama Wings director of emergency services, Boyer is Capt. Glenn Wilson of Pell City is the aerial digital used to multitasking. imaging system director for the Alabama Wing. He For the Deepwater Horizon incident, he took it to a coordinated the training and lineup of ADIS operators new level. who did the snapping with Nikon cameras and The Huntsville man wore several hats during his six processing of photos on laptops on the planes. weeks at the Mobile ICP. For the first few days of the mission, they were Fortunately, it was never more than one at a time, logging full-day flights. It wasnt just go up and take a he said. few pictures, Wilson said. We were routinely turning At different points in the mission, Boyer served as the in 1,000 to 1,500 pictures a day. The scale was bigger CAP incident commander, air operations branch than anything wed done in the past. director, mission pilot and as an aerial digital imaging
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Photo by Maj. Donnie Todd, Alabama Wing
First Lt. Roy Scarborough, left, and Maj. Bill Wallace, third from left, both of the Georgia Wing, visit with Brig. Gen. Reggie Chitwood, former CAP national vice commander, and Col. James M. Rushing, CAP commander for the Deepwater Horizon response, in the Mobile Incident Command Post. Scarborough and Wallace, along with fellow Brunswick Senior Squadron members Maj. Bill Houseman and 1st Lt. Andrew Tate, became known for their organizational skills in setting up air operations and coordinating flights.
Wilson was able to take off from his job as an electrical engineer with Alabama Power Co. for nine days to be in Mobile. The rest of the time, he coordinated and assisted from Birmingham. I dont think my contribution was near what others were, Wilson said. Everyone that was down there, they stepped up, he said. It was teamwork and camaraderie. When someone needed something, someone else stepped up. He pointed toward Tennessee as an example of that camaraderie. When Alabama needed a break, Tennessee
Photo courtesy of The Daily Home /Bob Crisp
Wilson was geared up for a normal survey, which meant about 400 photos taken with about 100 processed and delivered to a client within a day or so. For Operation Deepwater Horizon, though, we were asked to take photos of the entire coastal area, which required 1,000 to 2,000 images, depending on the area we were assigned, and we were expected to deliver the finished product by 3 p.m. the day of the sortie, he said. We knew we had to reduce the response and processing times if CAP was going to be taken seriously for the mission, even though current ADIS procedures didnt allow a single operator to complete this type of sortie in the timeframe required. Wilson worked with Geographic Information Systems and CAP personnel to develop a hardware/software solution that would allow a single ADIS operator to deliver the product in time for the images to be used by Deepwater Horizons operations planning group. We were able to come up with a solution within two days, and although it wasnt perfect, I made sure the operators we sent down were trained as well as possible, and if they had any problems, I was available for technical support for the duration of the mission, he said. A member of the Bessemer Composite Squadron,
David Richards, a member of the Alabama State Troopers Critical Response Team, takes Civil Air Patrol pilot Capt. Rick Kilgore of the Alabama Wing for a mock emergency helicopter ride during water survival training over Alabamas Logan Martin Lake. CAP volunteers in the Southeast are not normally trained in water survival, but the training was arranged in the event CAP planes were tasked further offshore during oil spill response missions.
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A triple boom line protects the prime property of the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort at Point Clear, Ala., where the eastern shore of Mobile Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico. CAPs role included documenting the integrity of booms along the coastline.
stepped in, and we could catch our breath, he said. Thats the kind of teamwork I mean. It was nice to see that whenever you needed someone, all you had to do was pick up the phone or send an e-mail.
Organizational skills valuable at air operations center

Members of the Georgia Wings Brunswick Senior Squadron joined mission base staff in Mobile for eight days to develop the air operations center. They coordinated CAP squadrons from three states as aircrews flew sorties along the Gulf Coast. Majs. Bill Houseman and Bill Wallace and 1st Lts. Roy Scarborough and Andrew Tate didnt hesitate when they learned from an e-mail help was needed. In those early days they felt a sense of urgency setting up air operations and coordinating flights for
Alabama, Mississippi and Florida crews. No one knew what to expect from hour to hour, Scarborough said. Though they had accommodations provided at a Mobile motel, they spent most of their time in the ICP, along with most of the other agency representatives. The men came away with a real appreciation for the teamwork involved in such a massive mission, Scarborough said. The Brunswick squadron was known for its organizational skills. Its 107 Coordination Form for aircrews and aircraft was converted to a wall-sized chart so crews locations day or night could be noted at a glance. The Coast Guard liked what we had so well that they adopted it, Scarborough said. The squadron members were honored to be part of such a historic event.
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Photo by 2nd Lt. Lynn McCallum, Alabama Wing
Photo courtesy of Sharon Calvin
Over the past several decades, Ive spent a lot of time on training missions and working the usual search and rescue missions, Wallace said. This was a unique, once-in-alifetime opportunity to do something really demanding, special and beneficial.
The Florida Wings Capt. Bob Little, assistant disaster relief officer, above, served as wing incident commander, while 1st Lt. Bill Weiler, air operations branch director, contributed planning
Balancing family, jobs with civic duty

Two days after the oil spill, 1st Lt. Bill Weiler was ready to go. The Florida Wing already had a very close working relationship with its state, so he knew CAP would be asked to bring its valuable assets to the table.
Photo by Capt. Phil Norris, Southeast Region
experience to the mission.
Maj. Keith Riddle, left, the Mississippi Wings inspector general, flew the first sortie for Operation Deepwater Horizon and served as an aerial photographer. On the ground he served as a mission staff assistant, air operations branch director, public affairs assistant and mission radio operator. Joining him in checking the weather before a flight is pilot 1st Lt. Randy Broussard of the Mississippi Wing.
Weiler, an air operations branch director, regularly spent up to two hours every day in planning and conference calls. He called on his experience as a former emergency coordination officer in Floridas emergency operations center for his contributions to the Mobile ICP. The hardest part of the mission was balancing family life and full-time jobs with civic duty, he said. The Merritt Island, Fla., resident said he is blessed with an understanding wife, who is also a CAP member. He was able to take time off from work to stay committed to the temporary job. Theres plenty of others who would have done it if they could, he said. Capt. Bob Little of North Fort Meyers, Fla., was the wings incident commander for the Florida response, running the mission for nearly its entirety. Even during the few breaks he took, he kept up with mission data and coordinated aircraft. Hes also the Group 5 emergency services officer and the wings assistant disaster relief officer. Although Little was responsible for making sure everything was organized and running smoothly, he wont take credit for the job well done. Instead, he credits those who worked the mission with him. You surround yourself with people who are qualified and competent, he said. My whole philosophy is I want to
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Photo by Capt. Jeff Carlson, Florida Wing
just practice and train for that one day when we might be needed, Rogers said. He said CAPs mission was successful because many people put forth their best efforts to get the job done. Were not heroes. Were really not. Guys that go into burning buildings, Mississippi theyre the heroes, members take Rogers said. it personally As far as wearing many hats goes, For several members Riddle could use an of the Mississippi Wing, extra hat rack. the Deepwater Horizon Inspector general incident became Maj. Hank Rogers knowledge of local topography was an invaluable asset. He of the Mississippi personal. The oil gushing is commander of the Col. Berta A. Edge Composite Squadron in Mississippi. Wing, Riddle flew into the Gulf just a few the first sortie for dozen miles offshore was Lt. Col. Wes Bennett Operation practically in their backyard. relaxes between flights. An Deepwater This was very personal for us, aircraft maintenance officer Horizon and said Maj. Hank Rogers, and retired Hurricane served as an aerial commander of the Col. Berta A. Hunter pilot from Ocean photographer. On Edge Composite Squadron. He, Springs, Miss., Bennett ground support, along with Maj. Keith Riddle and kept the wings planes he served as a Lt. Col. Wes Bennett, drew on his ready to fly. mission staff familiarity with the area to provide assistant and was a bang-up service for the ICP. air operations branch director. He also instructed crews We know the topography very well, weve flown it from several wings on correct use of the aerial digital for years, Rogers said. It was time to step up to the imaging system and served as a public affairs manager plate and take a swing. and mission radio operator. Rogers is also director of emergency services for his Ive done what I could when I can, he said. wing. He took time off from his job as a building official Living just a few miles from the Mississippi beaches, for the city of DIberville to serve as incident commander Riddle, an aviation photographer, wanted to help for the Mississippi Wings role in the response. protect not just his states shoreline, but others as well. The crew spent seven days in Mobile but worked fullHe was amazed at the magnitude of the mission and time from the beginning of the mission to the end. We do what we do with no fanfare; its all quiet. We the scope, scale and complexity of the response. make the state look good and I want to make the Civil Air Patrol look good to the state. Weiler hopes to use the mission to find solutions to make CAP even stronger. I look at this as a big training exercise, although we were doing something very good, he said.
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The operations tempo has been higher than what were used to seeing, Riddle said. The sheer volume of the tasking put it above any other mission. Technical software for the mission got a boost from the contributions of Mississippi Wing members Capts. Roger Smith and Trey Breckenridge. Both have day jobs with the High Performance Computing Collaboratory at Mississippi State University, where work on processing satellite and aerial imagery is common. Because of their experience, Rogers approached the pair for a way to automate processing of the large number of images CAP was capturing along the Gulf every day. The requirements for the Deepwater Horizon mission didnt match what our MSU researchers were already doing, Breckenridge explained, so
The computer programming work done by Capts. Trey Breckenridge and Roger Smith of the Mississippi Wing, shown here in Mississippi State Universitys High Performance Computing Collaboratory, shaved off hours of field time every day for CAP crews.
This U.S. Coast Guard map in the Incident Command Post shows the level of marine traffic in the Gulf.
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Photo by 1st Lt. Zach Rowland, Mississippi Wing
I decided we could just write the program ourselves. Using their computer program, CAP flight crews uploaded photos to a server at MSU using a high-speed internet connection made available by the university at a facility on the coast. The new software could detect the uploaded images and begin to process them immediately, even going so far as to add the CAP logo to each. As the image processing was completed, files were placed on a secure file transfer protocol site where they could be downloaded by the customer. This system processed more than 33,000 images taken by Mississippi Wing crews in support of the oil spill mission. And while the agreement between MSU and the Mississippi Wing was meant only to support the Deepwater Horizon mission, development has begun on a version of the application that will run on a standard laptop computer using only open-source software to enable similar capabilities for future CAP missions. Roger and I both wanted to go to the coast, but our work schedules just didnt allow that, Breckenridge said. We were thrilled for this opportunity to help. Their software shortened the time CAP crews needed to be in the field. With the long hours the crews were working, being able to get them home hours earlier so they could get more rest and have some time with their families may have helped sustain the great work they were doing on the mission, Breckenridge said. It felt great to know we had that kind of impact. Meanwhile, Bennett kept the Mississippi planes ready to fly. As aircraft maintenance officer for the Mississippi Wing, he coordinated their availability, repairs and inspections. On a mission like this, we never want to have just one plane available. If possible, we also want to have a backup or spare ready in case the scheduled plane breaks, he said. A retired Hurricane Hunter pilot from Ocean Springs, Bennett had the background, aviation management experience and time to contribute to the Deepwater Horizon mission; he could and would jump in wherever he was needed. He scheduled crews and aircraft, briefed crews, took and processed digital photos and piloted sorties.
Bennett participated in these missions so he could serve his community and adopted home. It was a job I could contribute to that I felt was extremely worthwhile, he said. I wanted to do what I could to minimize the impact in Mississippi. The mission put a strain on most of the volunteers, who werent ready for such a sustained tempo of operations. But I think we did it, and we did it successfully, Bennett said. Louisiana stepped in when Mississippi folks needed a break. That gave the Mississippi base crews a breather, he said. Normally, volunteers dont spend that long on a mission, Bennett said. But this job called for extraordinary measures by extraordinary people. I dont consider myself a hero, he said. I contributed to get a job done. It was a worthwhile job, and it was done well. I feel good about the fact that I was able to make positive contributions. s
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CAP members head to
oil spill
in record numbers
By Kristi Carr
On a visit to the Incident Command Post in Mobile, Ala., Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter, CAPs national commander, is briefed by members of the U.S. Coast Guard Commander Bob Brady, left, who was in charge of air operations, and Department Section Chief Mike Felkay, wearing the red vest of operations personnel. A small section of the massive command post is visible behind them.
Twin rivulets of sweat rolled down the right side of Lt. Col. Brett Slagles face. It was 9 a.m. and already 90 degrees as he sat in the pilots seat of a Civil Air Patrol Gippsland GA-8, ready to take a turn over Mobile Bay to check that days damage levels from the Gulf oil spill. He picked up a large cloth rag he had at the ready, bunched in his lap. First using the cloth to mop his face, he turned the key in the aircrafts ignition, announcing Clear! as the engine came to life. Slagle, a member of CAPs Georgia Wing, was flying with aerial photographer Lt. Col. Randall Stripling from the Tennessee Wing. They were one of several CAP aircrews making flights along the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico on a single mid-June day, CAPs 36th day of response to the oil spill. Slagle and Stripling were just two of the players in a well-choreographed routine that scheduled hundreds of CAP members moving seamlessly in and out of this drama as part of the organizations largest mission since World War II.
Command Post, an enormous office space where CAP was but one of almost every governmental, military and related private entity you could imagine, Stripling said. Its like nothing I ever thought Id see. There are maybe 1,500 people. Anyone who thinks no one is doing anything about the oil spill just doesnt know the level of response. The high level of security that surrounded the ICP may account for the general public not fully appreciating the response level in the Gulf. Armed guards manned the parking lot gates, and photo IDs had to be exchanged for visitors passes before entry was allowed onto the main floor. Once inside, an improvised organization was evident. Signs denoting sections and agencies were posted up high on poles, while many of the ICP workers wore color-coded vests white for incident commanders, red for operations, orange for logistics, blue for The logistics planning and green for While Gulf residents likened the effects finance. With the exception of the oil spill to the 2005 disaster of of rows and rows of tables Hurricane Katrina, some felt it was an Aerial photography is a specialized skill laden with computers, most even worse catastrophe, spawning involving multiple technological tools. The of the floor space was open, seemingly unending misery. The spill, Tennessee Wings Lt. Col. Randall Stripling with large television however, was met by a massive response, was one of the first in the Southeast monitors flanking the walls. and CAP was part of it. Region to get the necessary training, but CAP, however, was in a A steady rhythm of flights continued CAP is increasingly offering professional small walled office it shared from spring through summer and into fall. development classes in aerial photography with the Coast Guard. This Behind the thousands of aerial photographs as demand for the service rises. was the base for its rotating taken daily and the transport of decisionincident commanders, who makers along the 700 miles of affected worked four to six weeks in advance to schedule CAP oil coastline was the monumental task of scheduling CAP spill volunteers. Most volunteers worked for a week, volunteers, many of whom could donate just a few days at Monday through Sunday; the incoming incident a time because of their day jobs and family obligations. commander always arrived late on Saturday in order to In Mobile, members worked from the Incident
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overlap with the departing incident commander. This core group for the week kept CAPs response running smoothly, making sure the necessary aircrews and aircraft were in the right place at the right time. Aircrews, meanwhile, were assigned through the wings and were on a shorter rotation schedule, usually two to three days at a time, because of safety restrictions on the number of hours they could fly in a given period. The incident commander on CAPs Day 36 was Lt.
The volunteers
Numerous governmental agencies quickly identified CAP as an economical and reliable resource in this unprecedented environmental and economic crisis. A volunteer organization, CAP has more than 61,000 members who work without compensation, as well as one of the worlds largest fleets of small aircraft, which are very cost-efficient compared to other options. CAPs overall commander for the oil spill response was Col. James M. Rushing, commander of the organizations Southeast Region, which consists of six wings Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Puerto Rico. Those wings all contributed volunteers to the oil spill response effort, with the exception of Puerto Rico, given its distance from the Gulf. Rushing said CAPs oil spill response was managed by region rather than by wing because of the scope of the disaster. After working the mission for a month, assigning 18-20 members each day, he began to think about opening up the mission to CAP volunteers nationally. If this lasts as long as projected (late into the year), itll be more than CAPs Southeast Region can handle, he said. Rushing wasnt worried about manpower, though. Weve got a whole bunch out there chomping at the bit to get involved, he said, which just reinforces the dedication and volunteer spirit of our members. In the end, members from South Carolina and Louisiana and even some crews from CAPs Great Lakes Region worked the oil spill response.
During the oil spill response, Incident Command Post dress code included badges on lanyards for visitors and color-coded vests for most workers.
Col. Joseph Knight, a member of the Georgia Wing. My main duties, Knight said, involve making sure aircrews are properly briefed and that they get in the air on time, plus making sure our photographs get properly tagged and dispatched. Knights tasks were determined by CAPs National Operations Center, the Coast Guard and URS Corp., the private company that processed and mapped CAPs aerial photos.
The work
CAPs low-and-slow planes, a digital camera, a GPS receiver and a computer with the appropriate software were used to churn out hundreds of photos every hour,
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each encoded with latitude, longitude, altitude, date and time. The photos were used to trace the fickle movement of the oil. It changes from day to day, depending on the current, wind and other factors, Stripling said, providing the reason the same areas had to be photographed over and over. Officials used the photos to determine what areas of the coast were being protected or were in danger. CAP photographers were also asked to capture images of the more than 300 miles of booms within the Coast Guards Mobile area of responsibility in order to monitor their status and check for damage after storms. CAP generally flew three standard sorties A data management group leader with URS Corp., Eric Songer explains to Maj. every day one each out of Mississippi, Gen. Amy S. Courter how his company uses the thousands of aerial Alabama and Florida, plus up to 10-15 photographs taken by CAP in the Gulf oil spill response. more as needed. The CAP planes usually flew at their lowest altitude of 1,000 feet Clicking on an arrow icon on the computer screens and always within sight of shore, as the organizations map revealed the photo taken from that particular planes in this area of the country are not equipped with vantage point determined mathematically by deep water survival gear. In a typical flight lasting three applying altitude, latitude and longitude coordinates. to four hours, the CAP aerial photographer on board Hard copies were assembled into map books, which captured up to 3,400 images. were then distributed to CAP, the Coast Guard and When the plane returned to the airfield, the cameras other government and industry officials to use in images were downloaded onto a computer. From there, making decisions about ground responses, such as they went to the ICPs Geographic Information System shore cleanup crews or boom placement, as well as to desk. GIS personnel married the photos to Esri ArcMap determine the next days flight patterns. and Google Picasa software to provide an expansive and As the mission dragged into the summer, the detailed overview of the ICPs assets and, occasionally, Coast Guard asked CAP to begin taking aerial the oils whereabouts. photos of ground assets in staging areas. This aerial inventory saved time and money in getting the right equipment from the nearest source to where it was Days of operation 118 needed. CAP also photographed assets as they were Total mission man-hours 20,000-plus being deployed, monitoring the speed of the crews Personnel involved 150 below and serving as a verification for contractors No. of aircraft used 54 claims of work performed. No. of sorties 1,011 (air) CAP flights proved popular for moving people 267 (ground) quickly, too, whether the purpose was to allow officials a Flight hours 2,387 birds-eye view of damage or to get them to an important meeting.
Total Mission Stats
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The skill
Col. James M. Rushing,
Both the pilot and the aerial photographer brought incident commander for CAPs oil spill response, special training to CAPs oil spill response flights. likens the map book, consisting Slagle, who said hed flown almost everything during of aerial photos matched by a 21-year career in the U.S. Air Force, still found his their GPS coordinates to a recent flights in the Gulf area had their own special challenges, mostly because of the brutal summer heat. Google Earth map, to an Besides making the plane ride itself uncomfortable American Automobile there is no air conditioning in CAPs small aircraft Association Trip-Tik. the high temperatures prompted thunderstorms and created heat bubbles rising from the runways Stripling was one concrete that, upon landing, make keeping the plane of the first CAP straight a fight with physics, he said. members in the The other half of this CAP equation, aerial Southeast Region to obtain training in this specialty. photography, is also a special skill. Care, for example, had With aerial photography still a fairly recent addition to to be taken to compensate for the direction the plane was CAPs repertoire of services, a limited number of flying to make sure GPS coordinates stamped on the members were qualified to fill this need. During the oil photos reflected not that direction, but rather the spill response, CAP worked to shore up its numbers direction the camera was pointing at the time of the shot. with multiple weekend training photography sessions in the states most affected.
The lessons
The sheer size of the Gulf oil spill mission, along with its environmental nature, led CAP to make adjustments to its mission parameters. We learned this mission was just too big to operate with our initial manning, Rushing said. CAP-USAF, the liaison between CAP and the Air Force, helped obtain additional funding to increase CAPs mission staff. Members donated their time, but costs for ground transportation, food and lodging still had to be met. Also, said Rushing, we werent expecting the volume of photos we were required to take and process. CAP soon established an efficient way to address manpower issues, and the customer, URS Corp., made changes on its own to reduce the number
Before takeoff, part of the routine for Lt. Col. Brett Slagle of the Georgia Wing was to mop the sweat off his face. A big factor in the flights over the Gulf, the heat kicked up thunderstorms, caused turbulence over the runways surface and at low altitudes contributed to the discomfort of CAP aircrews.
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of images required. With all the CAP aircraft involved, the organization made arrangements with a central maintenance facility to service the aircraft locally and with high priority. CAP members working out of Mobile initially had difficulty communicating with aircrews in Florida because of the distance between the ICP and the Florida crews mission base. That was resolved when a Mobile-area member, Capt. Carl Hultin, volunteered to serve as a communications relay, using equipment at his private residence. In anticipation of future requests to fly farther out to sea, CAP addressed the issue of water survival for its aircrews by setting up training courses. The one for the Alabama Wing was provided with the help of Alabama State Police, which donated helicopters and rescue harnesses for practice.
A GIS data management group leader with URS Corp., Eric Songer, added, CAP pilots were super-easy to work with, which is amazing when you consider the number of them that worked this mission. Its just the kind of feedback Courter was expecting when she visited the ICP on the 60th day of CAPs response, a time when the organization had just reached 10,000 volunteer hours and 1,000 flight hours for the oil spill mission. Each and every time any of our volunteers provides a service, we garner additional exposure and understanding of CAPs abilities, she said. It was wonderful to see trained, experienced and competent CAP members working shoulder-to-shoulder with their Air Force and Coast Guard counterparts. We were partnered at such high levels, and this speaks volumes about our ability to handle incident command structures and imagery standards. s Capt. Phil Norris of the Southeast Region contributed to this story.
The rewards
Despite making sacrifices Rushing, for instance, was on duty at the oil spill while his wife was home, alone, to celebrate their 47th wedding anniversary the CAP volunteers found their work in the oil spill response to be very satisfying. Its been a wonderful effort from a team albeit a very large team to get the job done, Knight said. Id do it all over again and I probably will! Rushing added, I like the satisfaction of knowing CAP made a major contribution to addressing what was a huge disaster for our country. This super-sized mission also has had its rewards for CAP as an organization, enhancing its reputation among its partners and customers. Air Force Col. William Ward, commander of CAPUSAF, praised the oil spill response, saying, It was not just the size and duration of the mission but that CAP could institute a successful incident command structure integrating personnel from multiple wings and regions. Capt. William Drelling, overall deputy for the Coast Guards Mobile command post, told CAPs national commander, Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter, I want you to know how much good work CAP did for us, and at a fraction of the cost 10 cents on the dollar.
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Florida and Mississippi Wings Conduct
State Oil Spill Missions

By Minnie Lamberth
Background: On a clear day, a good shot of one of the barrier islands reveals no oil in sight.
Photo courtesy of Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
In addition to the federal mission Civil Air Patrol conducted as part of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response, the Florida and Mississippi wings also conducted missions for their own states. The state missions actually started prior to the federal mission, said Col. James M. Rushing, commander for CAPs federal oil spill mission. They also participated in the federal Coast Guard mission.
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resources from intrusion of the oil in the Gulf, said The federal mission began in mid-May, Rushing said, Trudy Fisher, executive director of the Department of while the state missions had begun earlier that month. Environmental Quality. My father was a fixed-wing CAPs work in each mission was similar in many ways, pilot for over 52 years, and I was lucky to grow up involving flights to photograph the location of the flying in a Cessna 182. Having first-hand experience booms and monitor the progress of the oil spill. But and knowledge of the benefits of fixed-wing aircraft other specific needs occurred at the state level. made it clear to me early in the oil spill the valuable role The Mississippi Wing, for example, worked with the CAP would be able to play. Mississippi Department of Marine Resources to ensure Fisher said the CAP flights with staff from the seafood safety. What they were trying to control was state agencies were vitally important, making the folks fishing in the water during this oil spill, because agencies immediately aware of possible problem areas. if contaminated seafood got into the marketplace, it The professional, working relationships with CAP could ruin the seafood industry for years to come, helped us fulfill our obligations, she said. Their said Maj. Hank Rogers, the wings director of members possessed the equipment and expertise to do emergency services and commander of the Col. Berta the job, and their willingness to help benefited all of A. Edge Composite Squadron. us immensely. We were out to protect all the seafood interests, For Joe Jewell, assistant director of the Department said CAP 1st Lt. Darrin Stewart, another member of the of Marine Resources Office of Marine Fisheries, CAP Berta Edge squadron. Stewarts role in the oil spill was was not just a resource; they were an integral part of not as a CAP member, however, but rather as an our actions. By using the eyes in the sky, we were employee of the Department of Marine Resources. The better able to respond to reported sightings, direct our primary passenger on CAP flights over the affected area, Stewart was responsible for taking photos for the agency and providing oil reconnaissance. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality was also part of the Mississippi mission. Together, the two state agencies collected first-hand, real-time photo images and reconnaissance of the oils progression into Mississippi coastal areas. That information provided a valuable resource for planning, reaction and logistical placement of oil containment booms, as well as for answering questions important to government officials and the general public. Maj. Gary Hornosky, left, commander of the Mississippi Wings Diamondhead Composite MDEQ appreciates the active Squadron, prepares to fly with 1st Lt. Darrin Stewart of the Mississippi Department of participation of the Civil Air Marine Resources and Kayra Johnson, an environmental engineer from the Mississippi Patrol in our efforts to protect Department of Environmental Quality. Mississippis coastal natural
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afternoon flights, five miles off the coastline in one boats and crews to the affected areas and provide direction and nine miles off the coastline on the return information to the cities and counties. flight. As the product got closer, those flights were In addition, Jewell said, As we began to move toward adjusted to one mile off the coast and then five miles off opening up our waters and coastline for commercial and the coast, Butler said. recreational fishing, we were required to respond to any Butler noted that the state of Florida published reported oil. We could call CAP, launch a mission and 94,000 images of the oil spill online. Out of those within hours have feedback supported by photographs images, the Florida Wing took approximately 54 percent and hard data, thus allowing us to open the areas or of those photographs, he said. provide the appropriate response. Shanti Smith, intelligence branch director overseeing In Florida, the mission was conducted through the the State Emergency Response Teams reconnaissance state Division of Emergency Management. Our main mission coordination for the purpose on Deepwater Florida Division of Emergency Horizon was basically Management, said CAP was providing reconnaissance for one of six organizations her the approaching oil products agency coordinated with on the on Florida shores, said Capt. oil spill for the aerial aspect of Douglas Butler, chief of the recon mission. disaster response for the Between all agencies, we Florida Wing. flew more than 1,800 hours in There were two types of less than 90 days, Smith said. flights, Butler noted. One set, One agency couldnt have five flights in all, was devoted handled that load. to taking four-second shots of The Florida Wing was the Florida coastline. That Capt. Douglas Butler, left, served as chief of disaster represented at the state was to create a baseline for response for the Florida Wing, which conducted emergency operations center for what the shore looked like reconnaissance flights for 52 days to report and 114 days, from May 4 - Aug. 27, before the oil, Butler said. photograph oil sightings. Here he delivers an and used 59 aircrew members on A camera mounted on a external hard drive with geo-coded photos to Richard Butgereit, Geographic Information System those missions. The wing made tripod connected to a administrator for the Florida Division of Emergency 118 flights totaling 354 hours, computer snapped a photo Management. using 3,850 gallons of fuel at a every four seconds. cost of $20,750. The photos were taken The Mississippi Wings mission followed the same from a 1,000 feet altitude at 90 mph, Butler said. With timeline as Florida. It provided 77 sorties totaling 151 a 20-25 percent overlap in the photos, the software flight hours, using 1,548 gallons of aviation fuel for a could generate a continuous photo of the coastline. total cost of $7,955.65. s That also provided information for what things were being done and how the counties were protecting their shores from intrusion of the oil product, he said. Col. Becky Tilton, Mississippi Wing public affairs officer, In addition, the Florida Wing conducted contributed to this story. reconnaissance flights for 52 days to report and photograph any oil product sightings. The Background: This aerial photo shows an oil slick 41 miles reconnaissance flights stretched from the Alabama state southeast of Biloxi, Miss., about 18 miles south of the east tip of line through the Florida Panhandle. CAP took the Horn Island. Photo courtesy of Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
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Photo courtesy of Donna Riordan, Florida Division of Emergency Management
an answer to prayers
By Kristi Carr
U.S. Coast Guard Chaplain Lt. Joseph Johnson, left, was as happy to welcome CAP Chaplain Lt. Col. Marcus Taylor to the Gulf as were the workers and residents
I know my own prayers needing moral support. were answered when the Lord sent Civil Air Patrol Chaplain Taylor to help, said U.S. Coast and made themselves available at work sites established to Guard Chaplain Lt. Joseph Johnson. deal with the oil spill. Before CAP sent chaplain support to the CAPs chief of chaplains, Chaplain Col. Whit Gulf in response to the oil spill crisis, Johnson was Woodard, visited Taylor at the Incident Command Post singlehandedly covering four states in the Mobile Sector in Mobile and was struck by the immensity of the on behalf of the Coast Guard. When the spill started mission and the need for chaplain support. I was shown exacting a toll on the lives of so many hed been serving, through the largest incident command I could imagine, the workload could have been overwhelming for him. Woodard said. As we worked our way through the Instead, Johnson explained, It was different to be needed hundreds of busy people, several would approach us with by everyone all at once, but you learn how to pray your brief expressions of appreciation for Chaplain Taylors way through it. You just have to hold on. contributions to what was no doubt the largest-ever His patience and prayers paid off when CAP Chaplain parish of his ministry. Lt. Col. Marcus Taylor whose Florida Wing alone It was gratifying to witness the CAP Chaplain Corps includes more chaplains than all of those serving in the seamlessly integrated into the Joint Forces Ministry Team, Coast Guard arrived about a month into the crisis. a testament to the importance of incident command After only one day on the job, Taylor was thrust into system training for our chaplains, Woodard added. the drama the oil spill had created for Gulf area residents Every day, the chaplains working with the oil spill and workers when he and Johnson were asked to provide response dispensed encouragement to several, but they counsel and comfort to Coast Guardsmen and others who spent more time with a few who needed in-depth had witnessed a local mans suicide. The suicide victims ill counseling. The spill added another layer of worry to the health had forced him to stop working, leaving him with lives of many already dealing with other crises, including only fishing to fill his days. Now the oil spill had taken concerns about serious health issues they or family even that away. members faced. The chaplains working as part of the Deepwater Especially after we finished a worship service, Taylor Horizon Joint Forces Ministry Team, formed after the said, people liked to hang out to talk, and they really Alabama Army and Air National Guard also assigned opened up. chaplain teams to the Gulf mission provided regular Prayers from the Gulf may have gone to God, but they worship services, including communion once a month, were often delivered by the chaplains serving there. s
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Chaplains at the oil spill:
Tracking a
Historic Mission
By Dan Bailey
Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter, CAP national commander, is briefed by Capt. William Drelling, overall deputy for the Coast Guards Mobile command center, as, from right, Lt. Col. Marcus Taylor, Florida Wing chaplain; Col. James M. Rushing, commander for CAPs role in the oil spill response; and Capt. Phil Norris, public information officer, listen.
Civil Air Patrol members typically are modest about the missions they perform for their communities and the nation, no matter how big or small the stage. But that doesnt mean the stories of their service and sacrifice shouldnt be shared not only because the members themselves deserve attention and accolades, but also because doing so helps promote CAP and its
missions for America. Numerous such stories arose from the organizations role in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Thats where CAPs public affairs officers came in. Capt. Phil Norris, assistant director of public affairs for the Southeast Region, served as public information officer for the organizations role in the oil spill response. Through efforts he and others made at the
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Elsewhere, public affairs officers national, region, wing and squadron at the local level helped turn the levels, CAP received much-deserved spotlight on squadron members attention in newspaper accounts, participating in the reponse, not web reports and television segments only in the states with affected focusing on the response. coastline Alabama, Florida and On July 28, for instance, the Mississippi but also as far away as CBS Evening News broadcast a South Carolina and Tennessee. segment on the status of the oil spill Before the mission ended, interest 100 days after it occurred. With an in the CAP story came from such estimated 4.98 million viewers entities as Inside Edition, Fox watching, reporter Mark Strassman The Southeast Regions assistant News, Air & Space/Smithsonian flew over some of the affected area director of public affairs Capt. Phil Norris magazine, Newspath, the Aero-News along the Mississippi coastline with keeps up with the latest Operation Network, General Aviation News and Capt. Randall Stastny of the Deepwater Horizon developments as AOPA Pilot Magazine, among others. Georgia Wings Peachtree City public information officer for Civil Air Wing public affairs officers Patrols role in the oil spill response. Falcon Field Composite Squadron. participating in the mission were Col. The report featured footage of the Becky Tilton of Mississippi, Majs. Doug Jessmer of affected shoreline as seen from Civil Air Patrol aircraft, Florida, Paige Joyner of Georgia and Pat Mitcham of and it included Stastnys remarks on marked Alabama and 1st Lt. Kimberly Bennett of Tennessee. s improvement in conditions since his most recent flight three weeks previously. Two days later, a flight with a different CAP aircrew provided a platform for another CBS correspondent, Kendis Gibson of Dallas KTVT-TV, to report on the situation in the Gulf. Gibson interviewed Lt. Col. Al Van Lengen, director of operations for the Southeast Region, about the scarcity of visible oil on the waters surface. He noted that at that point, Van Lengen and his fellow CAP pilots had flown more than 1,200 hours as part of the response. KTVT viewers also saw and heard Col. James M. Rushing, commander not only of the Southeast Region but also of CAPs involvement in the oil spill response, put the organizations level of involvement in clear historical context: This is probably the largest disaster response we have been involved in since the Coastal Patrols of World War II, Rushing told the reporter. Earlier in July, Rushing and Stastny, along with Maj. Chuck Mason of the Middle Georgia Senior Squadron, had been featured in a comprehensive overview of CAPs mission aired by NBC affiliate WALB-TV of Albany, Ga. The segment stressed that CAP members were all volunteers.
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Photo by Capt. Ande Boyer, Alabama Wing
New Ambassador in Blue

Ramstein Squadrons Newest Member Named Thunderbird
By Mitzi Palmer
Military fighter pilot and CAP member Lt. Col. Jason Koltes always knew he wanted to serve his country in more ways than one. And this year he got the chance when he was named operations officer and Pilot No. 7 for the U.S. Air Force Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds.
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jason Koltes was named the Thunderbirds Pilot No. 7 this year. The Thunderbirds demonstrate the capabilities of Air Force aircraft in shows that feature about 30 maneuvers.
Photos courtesy of Lt. Col. Jason Koltes
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SERVING AS A THUNDERBIRD
The selection process Koltes and the other Thunderbird candidates went through is quite lengthy. Each member is selected from a group of his peers and undergoes a screening process that includes interviews with team members and commanding general officers and getting to know other Thunderbirds. Candidates LIKE SON, LIKE FATHER must also have at least 1,000 flying hours in a fighter or Growing up, Koltes said, he had always known trainer jet. about CAP. But it wasnt until his son, Brandon, Ultimately, the team needs to know what kind of began to get involved that he joined the organization. members they are getting, as they will spend over 200 The more Brandon got involved, the more and more days a year on the road with you, Koltes said. The I learned about all the opportunities CAP has for cadets selection process is very methodical. and senior members, And for good reason. The said Koltes, who most highly skilled demonstration recently served in squadron is known as the face of Ramstein, Germany, the Air Force, as Ambassadors in as director of Blue perfect for Koltes, as operations at Warrior some of his peers have called him Preparation Center an Air Force role model. and as executive officer to the vice Made up of 12 officers and commander at the more than 120 enlisted members, U.S. Air Forces in the Thunderbirds are responsible Europe Headquarters. for demonstrating the maximum I wanted to have capabilities of high-performance something the both of Air Force aircraft. us could share, and At the same time, they work to I wanted to have something the both of us could share, and CAP was the perfect CAP was the perfect way for us to do something together to instill a sense of pride in people serve our country, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jason Koltes, way for us to do around the world, in America and whose interest in CAP grew from his son Brandons something together to its Air Force. involvement. serve our country. We have a distinct mission to Brandon, a 15tell the youth of America about the virtue of living a good year-old cadet with the Ramstein Cadet Squadron, was life and serving others, explained Koltes, who has always recently promoted to cadet second lieutenant. He felt the team is a bridge to engage youth across the globe. dreams of attending the Air Force Academy and being a As operations officer and Pilot No. 7, Koltes fighter pilot just like his father. The high-schooler is also coordinates behind-the-scenes activities of working hard in hopes of achieving the Gen. Carl A. Thunderbird shows in support of Pilot No. 1. That Spaatz Award CAPs highest cadet honor. includes facilitating maintenance for aircraft and Through CAP, Brandon says he has learned about teamwork, determination and leadership. working with the air boss for airspace and the rest of
the team on the ground in support of their jawdropping aerial demonstrations. The job of No. 7 is complete when the team has landed safely after a flawless demonstration performance, Koltes said. I work to support No. 1 in any way I can.
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I strive to get the mission done, he stated. And now that his father is a part of the organization as well, their bond will expand beyond that of father and son. It will involve two men serving their community, state and nation together. It will be great working with him to spread the word about the Air Force and CAP, Brandon said. Koltes hope is to one day have the opportunity to teach Brandon and other CAP members about aircraft. While Koltes is fairly new to the CAP experience, he has already enjoyed sharing some of his flying experiences and Air Force knowledge with cadets in the Ramstein squadron. Looking to the future, he hopes to see young CAP cadets he mentors continue to progress in the program. That would be perhaps the greatest joy any senior member can have, Koltes said. It is very rewarding to see young, shy youth step up, come out of their shells and develop into leaders. Thats what CAP is all about. s
About the Thunderbirds

Just six years after the U.S. Air Force was formed as a separate service, its official air demonstration team designated the 3600th Air Demonstration Unit was activated at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. Adopted soon afterward, the name Thunderbirds originates from Native American culture of the southwestern U.S. According to legend, the Thunderbird is known for the great fear and respect it inspires. To some it is a giant eagle. To some it is a hawk. But when it takes to the skies, the earth trembles from the thunder of its great wings. And from its eyes shoot bolts of lightning. The Thunderbirds first flew the F-84G Thunderjet with the help of seven officers and 24 maintenance professionals. Evolving through the years, the team has flown aircraft such as the F-100C Super Sabre, the F-105B Thunderchief and the F-4 Phantom II. Today, the Thunderbirds known as Ambassadors in Blue fly the F-16C Fighting Falcon. The 57th Wing of the Thunderbirds is located at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The units 2010 schedule includes 73 performances across the U.S. and Canada. Each demonstration consists of nearly 30 maneuvers. An entire show, including ground and air, usually exceeds an hour. Officers serve a two-year assignment in the Thunderbirds and enlisted personnel serve three to four years. Replacements for team members are trained during the operational year, which provides a constant mix of experience.
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Blue Angels
(and CAP) fulfill a dream deferred
By Maj. Paul Beliveau
I wanted to be Neil Armstrong! Jeff McCormick, one of Civil Air Patrols aerospace education members, said about an air show in Vidalia, Ga., earlier this year. Though McCormick hasnt yet made it into space, he had just experienced the next best thing, thanks to CAP. Impressed with his CAP Aerospace Connections in Education program at Vidalia Heritage Academy, the U.S. Navy selected McCormick, the schools headmaster, as a Blue Angels Key Influence Rider. Those chosen for that honor receive a Blue Angel flight. All 120 K-8 students at Vidalia Heritage participate in the ACE program, with the older students providing assistance with experiments, McCormick said. Its been a tremendous blessing, for lack of a better word, to watch some of these kids, who maybe dont excel in some things, he said, but you put them out there and talk about aircraft, space and flight and astronauts and they just really come alive! Its been great to watch their response to ACE. McCormick said the faculty has also adapted well to
CAP aerospace education member Jeff McCormick gives a thumbs-up to his students just before takeoff.
the program. Civil Air Patrol and U.S. Air Force provide this outstanding curriculum to schools for free, so its like, why would you not teach that? Standing next to the Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Hornet after his once-in-a-lifetime flight, McCormick called it a phenomenal experience. Observing the fighter pilot up close gives you a new appreciation for what they do, especially in a combat situation, he said. Theres so much math and physics involved with aviation, and that kind of knowledge leads to careers as engineers, doctors and scientists, fields that will make this country better, said Blue Angels No. 7 pilot Lt. C.J. Simonsen, who acts as advance pilot and narrator for air shows. The great thing about Jeff is he brought his whole school out here today. We hope we inspired them to look at aviation and possibly a military career in the future. McCormick concluded, Its because of the Civil Air Patrol activities we installed in our school that I personally got to realize a dream and now get to pass that experience on to our students who came out to support and watch me today. Its all about the students. s
Aerospace education students from Vidalia Heritage Academy surround their headmaster, Jeff McCormick (standing, right), and U.S. Navy Blue Angels pilot Lt. C.J. Simonsen after McCormicks combat aircraft flight.
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Photos by Capt. Paul Beliveau, Georgia Wing
Civil Air Patrol Crossword

Answers on page 54
Down
1. Rowboat equipment 2. Commander ___ (2 words) 3. Sea bird 5. Navy ship intro 6. AEX ___ Program 7. Room 8. Log 9. Accessible 10. Tip laterally 13. Military personnel, wearing insignia showing rank and years of service 15. Military address 16. Government security agency, abbr. 17. Curve in a road 19. Be situated 20. CAP Aerospace Cadet of the Year, Alexa ____ of the Arizona Wings Santa Cruz Composite Squadron 22. Diplomacy 25. Execute 27. Get to know the ____ 28. Military rank, abbr. 30. Masters degree 32. Cadets develop this as part of their study and practice of leadership in an Air Force environment 34. Takeoff areas 35. Front of a plane 36. Tin symbol 38. Minimum age for a cadet 41. In ___ we trust 43. Storm components 44. Breakwater 45. Prevent 48. This, in French 51. Rejection word 52. Windy city state 53. Finish 54. Military rank grading
Across
1. Cadet orientation flights 4. Community level organization of CAP 11. Radar motion 12. Type of missions flown by CAP pilots 14. Happening! 15. Large headsail 18. U.S. currency, for short 21. Be placed 23. Type of card 24. Brit fliers 26. Atmosphere above a nation 29. Very large size of clothing 31. Prefix with system 33. Frequent function of CAP missions 37. Turn 39. Particular unit 40. There are 52 of them in CAP 42. Visited 44. Kind of jet 46. Troubles 47. Freezing weather condition 49. Seattle state 50. Guide 51. Form _____ (check ride for a mission pilot, 2 words) 55. Ancient 56. Coast Guard rank 57. Planes environment 58. Young lad
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Celebrating
Civil Air Patrol
Pylon at the Monument to a Century of Flight honors CAPs contributions to aviation

Photo by Maj. Mary Anne Fleagle, North Carolina Wing
By Lt. Col. Don Beckett
CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter, left, visits with, from left, Cadet Chief Master Sgts. Peter Soares and Michael Sowell, Cadet Col. Jeremiah Coogan and Cadet Tech. Sgt. Matthew Lowery, all members of the North Carolina Wings Raleigh-Wake Composite Squadron.
Near the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk on North Carolinas Outer Banks, where manned flight began more than a century ago, stand the 14 stainless steel airfoils that make up the Monument to a Century of Flight, a must-see for any aviation history buff. Each silvery pylon bears a plaque showing the dates and accomplishments of the aviation and space organizations
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Monument to a Century of Flight and heroes the exhibit honors. artist Glenn Eure presents Courter Now Civil Air Patrols contributions to with the monument medallion aviation have a place at the monument, during the First Flight Societys recorded on a shiny granite plaque at Pylon salute to Civil Air Patrol on Aug. 19. 10, an appropriate salute from the First Flight Society. It seems fitting the Civil Air Patrol is recognized and honored here in Dare County because of its long, active The granite plaque at presence in our history, said First Flight the foot of Pylon 10 Society President Alvah Ward, who one of 14 stainless steel presided over a special Aviation Day airfoils making up the tribute to CAP on Aug. 19, which exhibit recognizes coincided with Orville Wrights birthday. Civil Air Patrols Ward referred to CAPs anti-submarine contributions to aviation. patrols during World War II and its members who continue to be on the This location is front line with service to their equally important to communities: This pylon representing Civil Air Patrol, as it the CAP will stand proudly and is over these and permanently to recognize this similar coastal waters outstanding aviation organization. that CAP got its start On a warm day where occasional a group of good showers threatened but failed to interfere citizens, many of with the outdoor events, the Aviation whom were pilots, Day audience was estimated at about who wanted to do 4,000, including Civil Air Patrol their part in protecting America from incursions by Nazi members, First Flight Society representatives and submarines. The Wright brothers had given CAP a tool others representing various organizations. an airplane and our organizations dedicated CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Amy S. members provided the determination, she said. Courter was among the many dignitaries on hand for Other speakers included Michael H. Murray, the First Flight Societys two-part salute, which included National Parks Service superintendent of the Cape an unveiling ceremony at the Monument to a Century Hatteras National Seashore; William J. Kealy of Icarus of Flight and a dedication ceremony at the Wright International; retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Jerry Rogers, Brothers National Memorial. president of Friends of the Monument; and John Courter was thankful for the recognition. This Stockton, Kitty Hawk town manager. location is, of course, noteworthy, as a place where the Sterling and Jane Webster, pylon sponsors, were also Wright brothers Wilbur and Orville worked on in attendance. their amazing flying machines, she said. So many During World War II, CAP members flew 24 million said it couldnt be done, putting man into the air, but miles over the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. They the brothers had that decidedly American trait. Some spotted 173 enemy subs, dropped bombs or depth would call it stubbornness, but most of us like the charges on 57 of them, destroyed two and helped sink term determination.
Photo by Maj. Mary Anne Fleagle, North Carolina Wing
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Photo by Lt. Col. Don Beckett, North Carolina Wing
CAP routinely performs 90 many more by directing shore-based percent of U.S. continental inland fighting units to their targets. search and rescue missions. Eight Such homeland security efforts hundred seventy-six have been continue today, nearly 70 years later, conducted this year, resulting in with CAP performing protection and more than 100 lives saved. preparedness exercises in its A second CAP aircraft, also longstanding role as the auxiliary of the from the Raleigh-Wake squadron U.S. Air Force. and flown by Capt. Shawn Lt. Col. David Crawford, the North McComas, was on display near the Carolina Wings director of operations, Wright Memorial pavilions with arranged for a CAP aircraft from the Maj. Gen. Dwight Wheless was one of the memorial as a dramatic wings Raleigh-Wake Composite several CAP dignitaries on hand for the backdrop. Col. Roy Douglass, Squadron to perform a flyover of the Aviation Day activities in Dare County, North Carolina Wing commander, Wright Memorial during the ceremony. N.C. Wheless, a former CAP national joined McComas in fielding Flying above us now is a Cessna commander, is a native of Dare County, questions from those who came 172 Skyhawk, said former CAP where manned flight began more than for a closer look. National Commander Maj. Gen. 100 years ago. Your honor to us today Dwight Wheless, a longtime Dare reminds us how indebted we are to the determination County resident, who introduced Courter. Wheless of the Wright brothers, who brought us the miracle of noted CAPs 550 single-engine aircraft the largest flight, Courter said. Orville Wright was quoted as fleet in the world turn the organization into a saying, The airplane stays up because it doesnt have true force multiplier for the Air Force, as well as for the time to fail, she added. I would adapt that to other federal, state and local government agencies CAP by saying, CAP members keep volunteering across America. because they refuse to fail either their country or their Each year, our nonprofit, all-volunteer organization fellow citizens. s logs approximately 100,000 hours in the sky, he said. North Carolina Wing Majs. Linda Eldredge and Mary Anne Fleagle contributed to this story. Puzzle on page 51 The Civil Air Patrol plaque at the foot of Pylon 10 of the Monument to a Century of Flight can be seen at the Aycock Brown Welcome Center at mile marker 1 on U.S. 158 in Kitty Hawk, N.C. The welcome center is six miles north of the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Additional information on the Monument to a Century of Flight and its artist, Glenn Eure, can be found at www.monumenttoacenturyofflight.org.
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Photo by Lt. Col. Don Beckett, North Carolina Wing
National award recognizes
CAPs cell phone expert

Photo courtesy of the National Aeronautic Association
In a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., earlier this fall, Capt. Justin Ogden, center, received the national Public Benefit Flying Distinguished Volunteer Award from representatives of the awards sponsors, Rol Murrow, left, chairman of Air Care Alliance, and Jonathan Gaffney, president and CEO of the National Aeronautic Association. Other 2010 Public Benefit Flying awards recognized Gene Schmidt of Bahamas Habitat as the Distinguished Volunteer Pilot and Bahamas Habitat for Outstanding Achievement in Public Benefit Flying; The Teamwork Award was presented to all volunteers, pilots and others who supported flights in the Haitian relief efforts.
By Kristi Carr
One of this years Public Benefit Flying awards, presented by the National Aeronautic Association in partnership with the Air Care Alliance, has been bestowed on someone who is helping the flying public without taking to the air himself. Civil Air Patrol Capt. Justin Ogden, a member of the Arizona Wing, is more apt to have his feet planted in front of his home computer when he is called by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Ogden a radio expert who works in componentlevel design of satellite communications equipment, microcontroller programming, test automation and
nationwide communications systems for General Dynamics is a pioneer in development of cell phone forensics. What does cell phone forensics have to do with flying? In extreme cases, it can actually mean the difference between life and death.
The secret life of cell phones

Ogden, who is only 29, grew up playing with radio frequencies. Understanding a cell phone that is powered on even if it is not in use constantly communicates with nearby cell towers, he developed a triangulation system that analyzes the signals between a phone and the cell towers in order to pinpoint the
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location of any given phone. With cell phones in such common use today, it is very likely that aircraft crash victims will have one or more with them. With Ogdens system of analysis, those phones can be key to locating the crash site.
The results of Ogdens work

Two years ago, Ogdens cell phone analysis was critical in saving four people who spent the night in knee-deep water just off the coast of southern Florida, standing on their overturned helicopter to protect themselves from natural predators. The year before, Ogden assisted with a response to a crash in West Virginia. I was quite surprised when I called the pilots phone and he answered, Ogden said. He later met the pilot for dinner, which he described as a highlight in my CAP career. Ogdens system works equally well for ground searches not involving downed aircraft. A year ago, he worked on an incident that captured national media attention when he was asked to locate three missing Dickinson State University coeds in North Dakota, last known to be driving a jeep on a stargazing expedition. Working from his desk in Arizona, 1,000 miles away, Ogden analyzed the cell phone activity from the young womens phones. Theyd made several frantic calls as their jeep sank into a rural stock pond. Though the coeds succumbed in minutes, Ogden was able to narrow the jeeps location to within 730 feet and at least provide closure for their families and friends. Otherwise, officials acknowledged, they might never have found the submerged vehicle.
The CAP connection

Ogdens interest in electronics was evident even at age 12, when he joined Civil Air Patrol as a cadet. CAP provided him with expanded opportunities to learn about direction-finding and radio communications. I know the cadet program had a great influence on making me the person I am today, he said. Ogden continued his service as a senior member with CAP, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, which is involved in up to 90 percent of the countrys search and rescue missions. The connections between Ogden, CAP and the Air Force eventually led to his becoming a national go-to resource for searches. His participation typically begins when he is contacted 24/7 by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, which is responsible for calling CAP resources into play. To date, Ogden has participated in more than 120 cellular forensics searches, resulting in 50 finds with 26 survivors, in addition to participating in local ground teams searching for electronic locator transmitters, missing aircraft and missing persons. Capt. Ogden is a vital component to the search and rescue capability in the 48 contiguous United States for the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Charles A. Tomko. While other rescue agencies are able to use cell phones to locate distressed personnel, Capt. Ogden and the Civil Air Patrol have worked to refine the process to determine a more accurate and timely location, allowing local, state, tribal and federal search and rescue forces the best chance at success. His selfless and dedicated service as a volunteer in Civil Air Patrol at all times day and night is a true testament and an example of the motto we hold so dear, that these things we do that others may live.
The award
The Public Benefit Flying awards were created to honor volunteer pilots and others who, along with their organizations, fly to help others or to support flight efforts. Jonathan Gaffney, National Aeronautic Association president and CEO and chairman of the selection committee, noted, Just as in years past, this years Public Benefit Flying honorees symbolize the very best of the people, organizations and equipment which make up the aviation community in America. We are very proud of the work of Capt. Ogden and the service to our nation provided by the Civil Air Patrol. Ogden is the second CAP member to be honored in the Distinguished Volunteer category for the award. CAP radar analyst Capt. Guy Loughridge, who often partners with Ogden to conduct CAP searches, received the award in 2007. s
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Mourns Passing Of
Two National Commanders
Brig. Gen. Thomas C. Casaday of the Alabama Wing led CAP from 1976 to 1979; retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. William W. Wilcox served as CAP national commander and CAP-USAF commander from May 1967 to October 1968.
By Steve Cox
held Aug. 23 in Birminghams Two of Civil Air Patrols top Canterbury United Methodist leaders in the 1960s and 1970s Church, where he was a Brig. Gen. Thomas C. founding member. Casaday of Birmingham, Ala., Friends and family reflected and Brig. Gen. William W. on the passing of the two Wilcox of Lady Lake, Fla. died within a former CAP leaders. week of each other in August. Tom Casaday was one fine Casaday, CAP national commander in man, said Brig. Gen. Johnnie the late 1970s and a 1980 inductee into Boyd, CAPs national vice the CAP Hall of Honor, died Aug. 16 at commander in 1978 during the age of 92. Wilcox, CAP national Casadays tenure as national commander and CAP-USAF commander Brig. Gen. Thomas C. Casaday commander. I am saddened from May 1967-October to hear of his passing. 1968, died eight days At the time of his death, Casaday was a later on Aug. 24. He Lifetime Member of CAP. Medically discharged was 94. from the U.S. Army after surviving a deadly A celebration of crash at Wendover Air Force Base in 1946, he Wilcoxs life was held joined CAP in 1948 and began a distinguished Sept. 11, which would career with the U.S. Air Force auxiliary, serving have been his 95th in various leadership positions within CAPs birthday, at the Alabama Wing, including wing commander. In Savannah Center in The 1971, he was appointed Southeast Region Villages, near Lady Lake, commander and served in that position until where Wilcox lived in 1973, when he was elected vice chairman of the retirement. A memorial National Board. He was elected national commander in September 1976 during CAPs Brig. Gen. William W. Wilcox service for Casaday was
Civil Air Patrol
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annual conference in Philadelphia. Before joining CAP, Casaday served with the Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1946 as a B-24 pilot and flight control officer with 2nd Air Force Training Command. A veteran multi-engine rated pilot with more than 2,500 flying hours, he used his own Cessna Skylane 182 for CAP search and rescue missions and other humanitarian operations. Casaday served as CAPs national commander for three years, through September 1979, when Boyd succeeded him. We were both of American Indian descent, said Boyd, who remarked that he often joked about that. He called himself Butch Cassidy and me Sundance. He was a lot of fun, a jolly guy, added Boyd, but he took CAP very seriously. During Casadays tenure, he worked to improve training for the organizations senior members. In his last Civil Air Patrol News column as national commander, he wrote, One of the things that has been most gratifying to me has been our progressive development of a career training program that will help increase overall professionalism and job knowledge of our senior members. One year later, in 1980, he was inducted into the CAP Hall of Honor. A bronze plaque bearing his likeness was dedicated and put on exhibit at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at WrightPatterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. To date, only 33 CAP volunteers have been inducted. Tom was a good leader, Boyd said. He led through his example. Boyd cited Casadays insistence that senior members wear their uniform only to appropriate venues. He would say, Dont wear it anywhere you wouldnt take your wife. In civilian life, Casaday was president of ElCasa Enterprises Inc. and director of Union State Bank in Pell City, Ala. He was the developer of Pine Harbor Marina on Logan Martin Lake and later vice president of V.J. Elmore Stores Inc. in Birmingham. In addition to his induction into the CAP Hall of
Honor, Casaday was inducted into the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame at the Southern Museum of Flight in Birmingham, where he was recognized for his contributions to aerospace education. He later served as president of the Alabama Aero Club and of the Southern Museum of Flight. He was a lifetime member of the Daedalians, a fraternity of military pilots, and a member of the organizations Founders Flight at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Among his CAP decorations and awards were the CAP Distinguished Service Medal, Exceptional Service Medal, Meritorious Service Award, Search and Rescue Service Ribbon, Rescue Find Ribbon and Frank G. Brewer Sr. Civil Air Patrol Memorial Aerospace Award. Casaday is survived by his wife of 66 years, Olive Elmore Casaday. Wilcox, meanwhile, was an Air Force command pilot with more than 4,400 hours of flying time. During World War II he flew 73 combat missions and served as commander of the 81st Bombardment Squadron (Light) in the Middle East and the 12th Bombardment Group (Light) in Italy and in the China-India-Burma Theater. He was decorated with the Silver Star for his sustained leadership in combat in Africa and the Distinguished Flying Cross for combat in the Libyan campaign. A full Air Force career ensued. It included assignment as chief of the Operations and Training Division of Headquarters Strategic Air Command at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. Just over six months after assuming command of the 4th Air Division part of SACs manned weapon system on July 6, 1963, Wilcox received star rank. His assignment to Maxwell AFB as CAP national commander followed in May 1967. Bill was the national CAP commander for only a short time, but most of all he enjoyed the opportunity to work with young people and to mentor them, said Wilcoxs wife, Ellen, whom he married after his CAP service. After retiring from the Air Force on Nov. 1, 1968, Wilcox moved to Newport Beach, Calif., where he
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began a new career in the financial services industry and became an active member of the local Rotary Club. As a Rotarian in Newport Beach and later in San Carlos, Calif., Wilcox contributed many hours of service as a member of the board of directors, often chairing and organizing various charity events. He helped initiate a youth soccer program in Yugoslavia funded by his San Carlos Rotary Club. Both he and Ellen were Paul Harris Fellows. In 1986, they founded Wilcox Financial Services in San Carlos. He remained self-employed as a registered principal with LPL Financial Services until his retirement in 1998 at age 83, when the Wilcoxes moved to Florida. Ellen Wilcox said her husband remained an advocate of CAP throughout his retirement years. He felt most of the nation knew nothing of the often-heroic deeds successfully accomplished by our CAP, she said. He believed in the mission of the CAP and often told others what a vital purpose the organization serves. s
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Achievements
Lt. Col. Paul M. Reed Maj. John A. Lesick Lt. Col. Joseph M. Martin Lt. Col. Trevor H. Stewart Maj. Rick H. Strul Maj. Stephen A. Soeda Col. David A. Guzman Lt. Col. Maurice Thomas Highest award given to senior members who Col. Sean P. Fagan complete Level V of the Civil Air Patrol Senior Lt. Col. Lester P. Olsen Col. William J. Moran Member Training Program. (Only about 5 percent of CAP senior members achieve this Lt. Col. Robin A. Steiner Lt. Col. David E. Lefavor award.) The senior members listed at right Lt. Col. Charles W. Gittins received their awards in June, July, August Lt. Col. Danny C. Riggs and September.
Gill Robb Wilson Award
CA CT FL FL FL HI ID MER MO NE NH PA SER VA WA MA MD MD ME ME MER MER MI MI MN MO MS MS MS MS MT NC NCR NE NE NH NH NHQ NM NM NV NY NY NY NY OH OH OH OK PA PA PR PR RI SC SC SER SER SER TN TN TX TX TX TX TX TX TX TX TX WA WA WI WI WI
Gen. Ira C. Eaker Award
Second-highest award for cadets, presented to those who complete all Phase IV requirements of the CAP Cadet Program. The cadets listed below received their awards in June, July, August and September.
AR CA CT DE DE DE FL FL FL FL GA GA GA IL LA MD MD MD MS NC NJ NJ NJ NM NY NY NY NY PA PR PR SC TN TN TN TN TX VA WA WY
Capt. Richard H. Pisarski Capt. Collin A. David Capt. Mark A. Kukucka Capt. Joyce A. Gaddis Lt. Col. Wayne C. Merritt Maj. Karl R. Katterjohn Lt. Col. Maurice Thomas Capt. Billy W. Booth Capt. Christian J. Felton Maj. Richard J. Sprouse Lt. Col. Ronald D. Beller Second-highest award given to senior Maj. John B. Rhodes members who complete Level IV of the Maj. Alan R. Sayre CAP Senior Member Training Program. The Maj. Daniel S. Watson senior members listed below received their Maj. Mallory D. Woodcock awards in June, July, August and September. Maj. Karen L. Semple Lt. Col. Christopher L. Davidson Maj. Anibal Pabon Maj. Julian G. Bishop AL Lt. Col. Carl R. Willert Lt. Col. Austin S. Landry AL Maj. Doris D. Willert Maj. Ladde L. Mayer AL Lt. Col. Samuel M. Herr Capt. Gary E. Wright AL Col. William J. Moran Lt. Col. Thomas W. Rea AR Lt. Col. Murray S. Craig Maj. James W. Cheney AZ Lt. Col. John R. Doughty Lt. Col. Frank J. Oliver AZ Lt. Col. Jason A. Dworkin Capt. Martha L. Foote CA Capt. Terence M. Wood Lt. Col. Gary S. Martin CA Lt. Col. Louis P. Fenech Maj. Joyce l. Pennybaker CA Lt. Col. Robert F. Flynn Capt. Matthew Scherzi CA Maj. James A. Ridley Maj. Robert L. Seigler CA Maj. Daniel A. Rogers Lt. Col. Michael W. Skullr CA Maj. Mike T. Bodnarik Maj. Stanley P. Thurston CA Maj. David L. Dean Lt. Col. Diana M. Ward CA Maj. Nicole R. Shaffner Maj. Michael Heath CT Capt. James W. Reed Maj. John A. Lesick CT Maj. Maurice L. Connor Maj. Joseph J. Palys CT Capt. Wayne M. Toughill Maj. Stephen M. Rocketto CT Maj. Wigberto Del Valle Maj. Adma A. Ross CT Maj. Juan F. Toro Lt. Col. James L. Lowther DC Capt. Benjamin F. Emerick Maj. Gilberto Tomas Aguiar FL Lt. Col. Christopher R. Peterson Lt. Col. Arthur R. Dunlop FL Maj. Thomas E. Timberlake Maj. Ronald James Gyorkos FL Lt. Col. Bruce D. Kincaid Maj. Nicholas C. Sacco FL Lt. Col. David E. Lefavor Maj. Rick H. Strul FL Maj. Ted D. Lybrand Capt. Shaun X. Adams GA Lt. Col. Richard P. Browning Capt. Nathan V. Brudjar GA Capt. John Preston Joslin Maj. Harvey A. Gainer GA Lt. Col. Juan F. Arredondo Lt. Col. William C. Higgins GA Lt. Col. Fred J. Blundell Capt. Charles M. Robertson GA Maj. Sean Crandall Capt. Ernest W. Sanders GA Maj. Gerry R. Davis Lt. Col. J. Preston Sewell GA Maj. Lynn B. Dehaan Maj. Phillip O. Snider GA Maj. Melvin J. Keizer Maj. Robert Scott Westbrook GA Maj. John R. Seabourn Lt. Col. Joseph J. Monfort HI Capt. Choya T. Shanahan Col. David A. Guzman ID Lt. Col. Bjorn Sundet Maj. Jerry G. Scherer IL Maj. James A. Graham Maj. Tod R. Whitmore IL Maj. Anthony E. Porterfield Maj. Gertrud S. Presswood IN Maj. Rose M. Kienholz Lt. Col. Randolph P. Kraatz KS Maj. Roger R. Rognrud Maj. Leslie D. Fife LA Lt. Col. Gregory P. Schulz Maj. Harvey David Taylor LA
Paul E. Garber Award
Randy A. Vest Sean L. Quigley Ashley N. La Plante Jonathan W. Atkinson Lauren E. Ewing Caitlind Twyford Matthew C. Campbell Ryan J. Cason Daniel Cook Tom J.McMahon Drew W. Clasen Christiana S. Loudermilk Aaron J. Pendleton Adam M. Wallace Jonathan J. Balint Alice W. Chan Diana P. Lopez Elizabeth R. Roberts Adam C. Casey Daniel L. Kong Yashesvini R. Lanka David A. Resnick Philip D. Savitsky Daniel A. Paulsen Moriah F. Davis Darin E. Mihalik Zeki J. Ozyilmaz Mark C. Teubl Natalie J. Shuntich Kelvin Cintron Jean Pena Austin M. Bryant Adam T. Smith Mychal R. Weekes Timothy W. Wier Kendall A. Worthington Andrew G. Smith-Haverty William R. Sturdy Alex J. Reynolds Heather M. Gould
Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award

Highest award for cadets, presented to those who complete all phases of the CAP Cadet Program and the Spaatz award examination. (Only about one-half of 1 percent of CAP cadets achieve this award.) The cadets listed below received their awards in June, July, August and September.
Jeffrey D. VerHoeven Karen M. Chinnery Aubry J. Eaton John H. Brennan Alice W. Chan Joshua Carr Alecia I. Hagman Frederick M. Koennecke James A. Ridley Dane V. Carroll Jeffrey A. Lewoczko William R. Sturdy Devin J. Holland AR DE KS MD MD MO NH NY NY PA TN VA VT
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[ region news ]
Indiana cadets assist skydiver s patriotic performance

INDIANA Cadets from six Indiana Wing squadrons helped keep the Indianapolis Air Show flying high by performing an array of duties, including runway sweeps, crowd control, water distribution and most memorably ground support for a skydiving performance featuring a 1,500-square-foot U.S. flag. Two cadet teams were required to track and gather the mammoth flag unfurled beside skydiver Paul McCowan, who served as a U.S. Army Green Beret from 1966-1969 with the 10th Special Forces Group. He descended while the national anthem was performed at the beginning of air operations for the show at Mount Comfort Airport.
Cadets run to the spot where skydiver Paul McCowan is about to land, preceded by his 1,500square-foot U.S. flag, at the Indianapolis Air Show at Mount Comfort Airport.
Cadets from the Anderson, Auburn, Rivercity, Titan, Valparaiso and Weir Cook cadet squadrons helped out at the air show. We are appreciative of the opportunity to be on the ground and part of response staff at Mount Comfort, said Maj. Frank Merrill, commander of the Indiana Schools Group and project officer for the wings involvement in the air show. >> 2nd Lt. Lindsay Shipps
Maryland Wing marks cadet solo schools 20th year

MARYLAND When six cadets took to the skies above Hagerstown in Civil Air Patrol Cessna 172s with the goal of soloing for the first time, they were taking advantage of what has become a tried and true tradition for the Maryland Wing its Solo School, held for the 20th consecutive year. Since Lt. Col. Robert Ayres founded the school in 1991 at the request of Col. Eugene Przybylowicz, then Maryland Wing commander, more than 130 cadets have become pilots through the program after passing a rigorous application and selection process. Each years cadet contingent participates in a weekend ground school at Hagerstown Composite Squadron headquarters a month before the academys flight portion at Hagerstown Regional Airport. The programs goal is for the cadets not only to solo in the aircraft but also to pass the written Federal Aviation Administration private pilot exam, administered at the 10-day flight academys end. Three cadets are in the air at a time, while those on the ground study for the FAA exam. Evenings are spent in
Academy participants, from left, Cadet Capt. Colleen Casey; Cadet 2nd Lts. Maria Brown, Gregory Mayer, Kyle Higgins and Nicholas Oland; and Cadet Capt. Isaac Breen-Franklin team up to cut the cake marking the Maryland Wing Solo Schools 20th year.
classroom training and on practice FAA exams.
The six cadets in this years school were Cadet Capt. Colleen Casey and Cadet 2nd Lt. Maria Brown of Annapolis Composite Squadron; Cadet Capt. Isaac Breen-Franklin and Cadet 2nd Lt. Gregory Mayer of Arundel Composite Squadron; Cadet 2nd Lt. Kyle Higgins of Calvert Cadet Squadron; and Cadet 2nd Lt. Nicholas Oland of Carroll Composite Squadron. To dream of flight is one thing, but to actually achieve it is an experience one who has not will never be able to understand," said Maj. John Henderson, the schools project officer. >> Maj. Brenda A. Reed
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Photo by Maj. John Henderson, Maryland Wing
Middle East
Photo by 2nd Lt. Lindsay Shipps, Indiana Wing
Great Lakes
[ region news ]
Photo courtesy of Lloyd Johnson
North Central
Minnesota unit honors former cadets military service, sacrifice
MINNESOTA The Anoka Composite Squadron dedicated its new flagpole by raising a flag that had flown over Afghanistan when one of the units former cadets was wounded while serving there. Army Pfc. Matthew Birr was sitting in a tent in Afghanistan on Aug. 9, 2009, when a bullet struck the back of his head, passed through his brain and came out the front, lodging in the computer at which he was seated. Birr has since undergone multiple surgeries.
Army Pfc. Matthew Birr shakes hands with Greg Swanholm, legislative representative for U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, at the Anoka Composite Squadrons flagpole dedication.
Later presented with the flag flying over the area when he was wounded, Birr wanted to see it flown on his old Civil Air Patrol squadrons flagpole. Unfortunately, there wasnt one the pole in place when he was a member had been removed after being damaged. After Birr made an on-the-spot contribution to acquire a new pole, the units finance officer, 2nd Lt. Kris Brown, began soliciting donations. Following his successful campaign, a 25-foot industrial flagpole was installed at Anoka County-Blaine Airport. Squadron members, representatives of federal lawmakers, local officials, friends and family members attended the dedication ceremony as did Birr, who flew in for the occasion from Colorado with his mother. As they looked on, the squadrons color guard raised the flag while reveille was played. When the flag reached the top, those present joined in singing the national anthem. The ceremony concluded with 1st Lt. Don Raleigh, the units deputy commander for seniors, calling Birr to stand in front of the flagpole as those in attendance saluted him in honor of his service and sacrifice. >> Capt. George Supan
Northeast
New Hampshire members take in Canadian perspective
NEW HAMPSHIRE Six cadets and three senior members from a half-dozen New Hampshire Wing squadrons got a feel for their Canadian counterparts approach to competitions and air expos on a trip north of the border. The Civil Air Patrol members first stop was Montreals St. Hubert Airfield, followed by a trip to the National Aerotechnical School for the Air Cadet League of Canada Air Expo. There, the cadets and senor members visited a number of aviation-related displays and also had a chance to sit in the cockpits of a McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet fighter and an HH-1 helicopter. They also viewed fighter aircraft simulators, took an orientation flight on a BAE J-31 Jetstream and toured an F-86 Saber and a Canadian P-3 Aurora. More than 1,100 Canadian Air Cadets participated in the expo, which also featured a CAP Gippsland GA-8 on display, courtesy of Maj. Sam Herr of the Greater Nashua Composite Squadron. The next day, the contingent traveled to the Canadian Forces base at Saint-Jean Garrison in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu for the 69th annual review of the Air Cadet League, featuring six Canadian cadet drill teams and four marching units in competition. Making the trip were Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Drew Sackett of Concord Composite Squadron; Maj. Sam Herr, Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Eric VanDenBerge and Cadet Staff Sgt. Eric Daigle of Greater Nashua Composite Squadron; Cadet 1st Lt. Mike Wallace of Hawk Composite Squadron; Lt. Col. Bill Moran and Cadet Staff Sgt. Rebekah Martel of Lebanon Composite Squadron; Maj. Paul Kelly of Manchester Composite Squadron; and Cadet Airman Basic Andrew Solomonides of Monadnock Composite Squadron. >> Maj. Penny Hardy
Photo by Maj. Paul Kelly, New Hampshire Wing
New Hampshire Wing visitors gather for a photo with some of their Air Cadet League of Canada hosts.
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Pacific
Alaska members acquaint EMS personnel with CAP aircraft
ALASKA Ambulance crews in Alaska can sometimes find themselves in a medical emergency that requires a different approach to patient transport, thanks in large part to the states often-challenging terrain. Such situations prompted Bill Mackreth, emergency medical services training coordinator for Matsu Borough, to call on Civil Air Patrol and other agencies in his effort to provide local emergency personnel with practical experience in an unfamiliar environment.
Maj. Chuck Hosack, emergency services officer for the 17th Composite Squadron, shows a team of emergency medical technicians features of a Civil Air Patrol Cessna 206.
With area CAP members enthusiastic participation, Mackreth coordinated an exercise at Palmer Municipal Airport to help acquaint emergency medical technicians with the types of aircraft they may find themselves using to transport patients. The boroughs Forestry Building was used as a center for briefings and questions, and four teams of two to three medics alternated between training on the Alaska Wings deHavilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver and Cessna 206 as well as LifeMeds Beechcraft King Air 200 and AStar helicopter. The teams spent about 20 minutes aloft in each aircraft, for a total of some 80 minutes in the air just long enough to get a feel for it, Mackreth said. >> 1st Lt. Pamela Speer
Rocky Mountain
Utah Wings glider program climbs higher with new aircraft
UTAH The Utah Wing Glider Flights capabilities for providing quality orientation flights and serving outlying squadrons took a major step forward when members traveled to Driggs, Idaho, to acquire a new L-23 Super Blanik and transport it to its new base in Salt Lake City. The L-23 replaced the aging Schweitzer 2-33 the Glider Flight used for many years for cadet orientation flights. As members discovered for themselves, one benefit of the L-23 is the relative ease with which it can be transported in comparison to the Schweitzer. It also includes an enclosed trailer for transport. As a result, if a mission requires two gliders, the unit has the capability to transport the aircraft to outlying stations for flights. That tremendously improves the members ability to serve some of the larger squadrons rapidly growing ranks. The new Blanik made its Salt Lake debut with orientation flights conducted at Cedar Valley Airport during the 2010 Utah Wing encampment. The previous week, Glider Flight members had conducted training and qualification exercises, with six orientation pilots becoming qualified to fly the L-23 during the encampment as well as for orientation flights afterward. More than 35 cadets and senior members at the encampment participated in glider orientation flights. The cadets enjoyed the Blaniks roomy cockpit and excellent visibility, and the orientation pilots commented on the planes excellent handling characteristics and low noise level. >> 2nd Lt. David Cleveland
Photo by 2nd Lt. David Cleveland, Utah Wing
Capts. Ruthann Povinelli, the Utah Wing Glider Flights deputy commander and operations officer, and Craig Teerlink finish another successful training mission.
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Photo by 1st Lt. Pamela Speer, Alaska Wing
[ region news ]
Photo by Capt. Robert Little, Florida Wing
Southeast
Florida Wing promotes cadet flight with ground school, scholarships
FLORIDA Sixteen cadets from across southwest Florida participated in Group Fives Cadet Aviation Ground School, with two cadets who earned the highest overall grade averages receiving flight scholarships from the Florida Wing. This marked the third year for the program, coordinated by Group Fives commander, Lt. Col. Fran Gleockler, to prepare qualified cadets for passing the Federal Aviation Administrations Private Pilot Knowledge Test.
A prop proves useful as Lt. Col. Richard Petrucci, standing, of the SRQ Composite Squadron and leader of the Cadet Aviation Ground School instructors, engages Col. Christian Moersch, Florida Wing commander, in a discussion of aeronautical principles.
The Florida Wing had previously awarded a $1,000 scholarship to the top student to use for flight training in Civil Air Patrol aircraft with CAP flight instructors. This years scholarship winner was Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Johnathan Fischer of Lee County Cadet Squadron. Col. Christian Moersch, wing commander, surprised the staff and candidates by offering a second, $500 scholarship, which went to Cadet 2nd Lt. Shawn May of the Hernando County Composite Squadron. Moersch participated in two days of classes at the in-residence school, held at Sarasota Military Academy. He gave a presentation as a guest speaker and even demonstrated his culinary skills by helping staff serve up a nutritious breakfast. Key elements of the cadet program were reinforced throughout the school, as the 40 hours of class time were balanced with periods of physical fitness activity. The demanding curriculum fostered a cooperative learning environment where cadets tutored each other and exercised leadership skills. Gleockler called the ground school a good example of the role CAP plays in Florida communities in this case, one that brings a unique opportunity to youth, feeds their interest in aviation and helps them recognize aeronautics is a realistic goal to pursue. >> Capt. Jeff Carlson
Photo by 2nd Lt. Nicki Voights, New Mexico Wing
Southwest
New Mexico members fundraising pays off with D.C. trip
NEW MEXICO Members of the Albuquerque Heights Composite Squadron took matters into their own hands after their recruiting and retention officer, 1st Lt. Lloyd A. Calderon, proposed a trip to the nations capital. Calderon, director of the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services Veterans Business Resource Center, got the idea after taking a group of businessmen to Washington in the fall of 2009 and being struck by their reactions. If business leaders who represented half a billion dollars in revenues to the state of New Mexico could be impressed, he said, how much more would our young cadets be? Estimating $12,000 would be needed for the trip, the squadron began fundraising in January. Funding came from community events, car washes and donations from businesses and individuals, culminating with the squadrons first ever golf tournament at Buffalo Thunder Casino and Resort in Santa Fe.
The U.S. Capitol serves as the backdrop for, front row, from left, Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Michael R. Eckert; Cadet Airman August Huerta; Cadet Airman Basic Desiree Kindle; Cadet Airman 1st Class Dakota Sidden; and Cadet Airman Hunter Atwood; second row, from In all, 15 cadets and three senior members made the trip, which left, Cadet Airmen Brian Chernenkoff, Julien included visits to the Pentagon, the U.S. Capitol and the office of U.S. Work and Nathaniel Currid; Cadet Airman 1st Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico, as well as tours of the National Archives, National Museum of American History, National Air and Space Class Matthew Bradley; Cadet Senior Airman Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center and Fords Theatre. The travelers Kaycee Voights; and Cadet 2nd Lt Haley E. also paid their respects to the fallen at Arlington National Cemetery, the Barela; and back row, from left, Cadet Airman Basic Daniel Zhang; Cadet Airman Jesston Tomb of the Unknowns and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Rich; Cadet Tech. Sgt. Grant Calderon; and Transportation to the various sites was provided by the Air National Cadet Airman Basic Tomas Gallegos. Guard. >> Lt. Col. Jay T. Tourtel
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Civil Air Patrol News - Oct 2010

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CIVIL AIR PATROL

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